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India Today
08-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Recipe for failure: Delhi University teachers slam 4-year UG in plea to President
Raising alarm over what it calls a flawed rollout of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) has submitted a formal petition to the President of India. Backed by nearly 2,000 faculty members, the petition highlights a slew of academic, infrastructural, and policy shortcomings that, according to the association, threaten the very foundation of public higher a press conference on Monday, DUTA President Professor A K Bhagi stated that the university is ill-equipped to implement the additional fourth year of undergraduate education, citing severe shortages in teaching staff, classroom space, and infrastructure funding. "We simply do not have the resources to handle the increased student load. Implementing the FYUP without adequate preparation is bound to fail," he petition, routed through the Ministry of Education, also seeks the withdrawal of the Draft UGC Regulations 2025 in the absence of the Pay Review Committee (PRC) report. It further urges urgent action on long-standing service-related concerns, including delays in promotions and the recognition of ad-hoc service. Prof Bhagi cautioned that academic independence could be compromised if financial aid comes with strings attached. He called for immediate government intervention and special grants to help DU colleges upgrade their similar concerns, DUTA Secretary Dr Anil Kumar stressed that the new UGC regulations should only be introduced after the 8th Pay Commission recommendations are in place and following broad consultations with academic flagged several pressing issues, such as overcrowded classrooms and labs, overworked faculty, delayed academic calendars, and the growing mismatch between DU's curriculum and external platforms like SWAYAM and MOOCs. The association warned that counting credits from such platforms toward degrees could dilute academic rigor and reduce student-teacher Treasurer Dr Akanksha Khurana underscored that rolling out major policy changes without adequate infrastructure or stakeholder feedback risks undermining the objectives of NEP 2020. She also reiterated the association's demands to reinstate MPhil and PhD increments, fairly count previous ad-hoc service for promotion, remove arbitrary restrictions on senior professor posts, and fast-track the promotion process with a defined two-month petition serves as a strong signal to education policymakers that the implementation of NEP 2020, particularly FYUP, requires more than a policy mandate—it demands resources, planning, and inclusive dialogue.(With PTI inputs)- Ends
Hindustan Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
DUTA flags Four-Year Undergraduate Programme under NEP, petitions president
New Delhi, Calling the implementation of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme under NEP 2020 a "recipe to failure," the Delhi University Teachers' Association on Monday submitted a petition to the President of India, raising serious concerns over academic, infrastructural and policy gaps. DUTA flags Four-Year Undergraduate Programme under NEP, petitions president Nearly 2,000 faculty members have endorsed the petition. Addressing a press conference, DUTA president Prof A K Bhagi said, "Our biggest problem at present is that the fourth year under NEP 2020 is not feasible. We need manpower and funding for infrastructure expansion to accommodate the increased student intake, but we lack both." DUTA has urged the withdrawal of the Draft UGC Regulations, 2025, in the absence of the Pay Review Committee report, and demanded urgent redressal of long-standing service-related concerns. The petition was submitted through the Ministry of Education to the president, who is also the visitor of the university. Prof Bhagi warned that without adequate faculty, infrastructure and classroom space, the implementation of FYUP would endanger students' futures. "It's a recipe to fail. Financial help at the cost of academic independence will not be tolerated," he said, demanding special assistance to colleges to upgrade facilities urgently. DUTA secretary Dr Anil Kumar reiterated that the draft UGC regulations must not be implemented in their current form and must be integrated with the forthcoming 8th Pay Commission after extensive consultations with academic stakeholders. The association raised several issues such as overcrowded classrooms and labs, delays in the academic calendar, overburdened faculty and the unaligned nature of online courses like SWAYAM and MOOCs with DU's curriculum. DUTA also opposed the use of such platforms to earn academic credits, warning that it would dilute academic standards and undermine student-teacher engagement. DUTA treasurer Dr Akanksha Khurana said ill-planned policy implementation without infrastructure or feedback mechanisms could destabilise public universities and compromise NEP 2020's stated goals. The association also renewed demands for restoring MPhil and PhD increments, fair recognition of past ad-hoc service for promotions, removal of arbitrary caps on senior professor posts and a two-month timeline for processing promotions. DUTA vice president Dr Sudhanshu Kumar called for parity in service conditions across academic roles and immediate filling of vacancies through special recruitment drives, especially those pending due to the "Not Found Suitable" clause. Prof Aditya Narayan Misra said, "We're not against a four-year structure, but without required resources, it's bound to collapse. You've halved teaching hours, doubled student numbers and cut down practical sessions how does this enhance quality?" He added that teachers would be forced to take the path of demonstrations if their demands went unheard. According to the university's schedule, the fourth year of FYUP is set to roll out from August 1. Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh had earlier said the new structure would be a "game changer" focused on research, entrepreneurship and skill development but DUTA maintains that the current infrastructure and faculty strength are inadequate. DUTA concluded by urging the president and the Union education ministry to ensure all reforms are guided by academic freedom, teacher welfare and meaningful stakeholder engagement instead of top-down directives. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Recipe for failure': DU faculty petitions President over four-year UG programme
Calling the implementation of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) under NEP 2020 a 'recipe to failure,' the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) on Monday submitted a petition to the President of India, raising serious concerns over academic, infrastructural and policy gaps. Nearly 2,000 faculty members have endorsed the petition. Addressing a press conference, DUTA president Prof A K Bhagi said, 'Our biggest problem at present is that the fourth year under NEP (National Education Policy) 2020 is not feasible. We need manpower and funding for infrastructure expansion to accommodate the increased student intake, but we lack both.' DUTA has urged the withdrawal of the Draft UGC (University Grants Commission) Regulations, 2025, in the absence of the Pay Review Committee (PRC) report, and demanded urgent redressal of long-standing service-related concerns. The petition was submitted through the Ministry of Education to the president, who is also the visitor of the university. Prof Bhagi warned that without adequate faculty, infrastructure and classroom space, the implementation of FYUP would endanger students' futures. 'It's a recipe to fail. Financial help at the cost of academic independence will not be tolerated,' he said, demanding special assistance to colleges to upgrade facilities urgently. DUTA secretary Dr Anil Kumar reiterated that the draft UGC regulations must not be implemented in their current form and must be integrated with the forthcoming 8th Pay Commission after extensive consultations with academic stakeholders. The association raised several issues such as overcrowded classrooms and labs, delays in the academic calendar, overburdened faculty and the unaligned nature of online courses like SWAYAM and MOOCs with DU's curriculum. DUTA also opposed the use of such platforms to earn academic credits, warning that it would dilute academic standards and undermine student-teacher engagement. DUTA treasurer Dr Akanksha Khurana said ill-planned policy implementation without infrastructure or feedback mechanisms could destabilise public universities and compromise NEP 2020's stated goals. The association also renewed demands for restoring MPhil and PhD increments, fair recognition of past ad-hoc service for promotions, removal of arbitrary caps on senior professor posts and a two-month timeline for processing promotions. DUTA vice president Dr Sudhanshu Kumar called for parity in service conditions across academic roles and immediate filling of vacancies through special recruitment drives, especially those pending due to the 'Not Found Suitable' clause. Prof Aditya Narayan Misra said, 'We're not against a four-year structure, but without required resources, it's bound to collapse. You've halved teaching hours, doubled student numbers and cut down practical sessions — how does this enhance quality?' He added that teachers would be forced to take the path of demonstrations if their demands went unheard. According to the university's schedule, the fourth year of FYUP is set to roll out from August 1. Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh had earlier said the new structure would be a 'game changer' focused on research, entrepreneurship and skill development but DUTA maintains that the current infrastructure and faculty strength are inadequate. DUTA concluded by urging the president and the Union education ministry to ensure all reforms are guided by academic freedom, teacher welfare and meaningful stakeholder engagement instead of top-down directives.
Scroll.in
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Video: The destruction of the Indian university
Play For more than a decade, Indian public universities have been under intense attack and academic freedom has narrowed, Recent policy changes and structural shifts are making it increasingly difficult for students from marginalised communities to access higher education. Decades of privatisation had already weakened the public university system, but now the Hindutvaisation of education has created an even more urgent crisis. That is what academics Nandita Narain and Nivedita Menon discuss with author and peace worker Harsh Mander in this episode of Yeh Daag Daag Ujala. They describe how appointments and promotions of faculty are now often contingent on ideological conformity, with open preference being given to those aligned with Hindutva. At the same time, students and teachers critical of the ruling dispensation face intimidation, disciplinary action and vilification. Fear is being institutionalised through policies, surveillance, and the steady erosion of institutional autonomy, they note. They also reflect on how the university as a space of critical thought and democratic debate is under attack and what that means for India's future. Nandita Narain is a mathematics professor who taught at St Stephen's College, Delhi University for over four decades. She was a two-time president of the Delhi University Teachers' Association and is now the chairman of Joint Forum for Movement on Education. Nivedita Menon is a professor at the Centre for Comparative Politics and Political Theory at Jawaharlal Nehru University, a leading feminist theorist and author of several acclaimed books.
