‘Not prepared for fourth year': DU's push for 12-hour shifts at colleges sparks criticism

Indian Express

a day ago

Amid the rollout of the fourth year undergraduate programme (FYUP) under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 from this academic session at Delhi University, the varsity's push for 12-hour shifts has drawn criticism from teachers and students.
Expressing myriad concerns, faculty unions are demanding the university withdraw the advisory and hold wider consultations as the classes for the new session begin Monday.
In a notification dated July 31 notification, the university asked colleges to extend their hours and operate from 8 am to 8 pm to 'ensure availability of faculty and staff during the period,' suggesting a staggered deployment to accommodate additional academic requirements.
However, faculty representatives argue that this blanket approach ignores the realities on the ground. 'The order clearly shows that we are ill-prepared for the fourth year,' said Abha Dev Habib, Secretary of the Democratic Teachers' Front and Associate Professor at Miranda House.
She added, 'Teaching distribution and timetables must be planned in advance during the vacation itself if classes are to begin smoothly. Pushing this on August 1, with classes beginning August 4, leaves teachers scrambling. It also means that first-year teaching is now pushed toward guest faculty, which is no way to welcome students to a university.'
Safety is emerging as the biggest worry. Many DU campuses are located in areas where traveling at odd hours feels unsafe to students and staff.
'This latest DU notification is extremely problematic. It is extremely dangerous from the safety perspective of students and teachers in many areas of Delhi,' said Dr Mithuraaj Dhusiya, an elected member of DU's Executive Council.
'Making students sit from 8 am to 8 pm is neither feasible nor practical. It just shows that DU is not prepared for the fourth year of NEP — neither on infrastructure nor manpower.'
Rudrashish Chakraborty, Associate Professor of English at Kirori Mal College and Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) Executive member, called the measure 'anti-teacher and anti-student.'
'It forces colleges to adopt a draconian system. The notification expressly instructs colleges to prepare a staggered timetable of a minimum five hours per day for every teacher, even if there is no space for teachers to sit and work,' he said.
Chakraborty also flagged the potential impact on evening colleges, which traditionally cater to students who work during the day. 'It is not clear how this will impact evening colleges. Are they going to schedule their classes from 8 pm to 8 am? Or are they going to be dismantled altogether as institutions?'
Faculty members also warned of an emerging hierarchy under the new system. 'The university has said that only senior faculty should teach and supervise the fourth-year students. This is a vicious attempt to create a division between so-called senior and junior colleagues, which will undermine collegiality and disrupt teaching culture,' Chakraborty added.
'We cannot implement structural reforms like this through last-minute orders without preparation, safety measures, or teacher training,' said Habib.
Although the strength of students was not as high on Friday when colleges held orientations, better attendance is expected on Monday, officials said.