Colleges await DU decision to go ahead with admissions

New Delhi, June 26: Fifty seven of the 64 colleges affiliated to Delhi University may have agreed to the UGC order to end the controversial four-year undergraduate programme but they can shift to the earlier format only after the varsity amends rules in this regard.

"We are waiting for the university to take a decision on whether it wants to go back to the old three-year structure or compress the FYUP into a three-year format. We are waiting for an amendment to the university's ordinance and only then we can go ahead with the admissions," said S K Garg, president of DU's Principals' Association.

Asked whether the colleges have gone ahead and agreed to UGC's directive even though there has been no decision taken by DU's higher officials, he said, "The colleges received a letter from the Registrar informing them about the UGC orders and we inferred that the university was willing to change back to three-year format."

Miranda House's Principal Pratibha Jolly also said that the colleges were bound by the university ordinances.

"We have never claimed that we are autonomous. It has to be a collective decision. We receive our funding from the UGC and we have agreed to comply by its directives but then we need to have unambiguous directions from the competent authority to go ahead with the admissions. I believe negotiations are on. We hope that a positive outcome comes out of it as there is a lot at stake," she said.

Ever since UGC directed DU to roll back FYUP and conduct admission for three-year programme, there has been uncertainty over the admission process that involves the fate of over 2.7 lakh students clamouring for 54,000 seats in 64 colleges.

UGC said 57 of the 64 DU colleges, including prestigious ones, have said they are complying with its directive to start admissions for the three-year programme. A day before, principals of all colleges affiliated to DU had decided to defer the admission process that was to start on Tuesday.

Secretary of the Principals' Association and principal of Secretary of the Principals' Association and principal of Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences, S Lakshmi Devi said the Academic and Executive Councils would have to be convened to pass an ordinance for any change in the format of the undergraduate programme.

"We have agreed to the UGC's order in principle but we cannot move forward without the directive of the university. It is not an individual decision. There are too many steps. It is very hard to say when the admission process will begin. I am, myself, very anxious. Students who enrolled into four-year undergraduate programme last year come and ask what is going to happen. I have nothing to say," she said.

Garg, however, was more optimistic. "I cannot give a definite time period within which admissions will begin. But I can say that once the university gives its directive, within two days colleges can come out with their cut-off lists." The Deendayal Upadhyaya College principal also dismissed they were under any pressure. "There has been no pressure," he said.

In a letter to the UGC, the colleges have said that in the light of the recent development and keeping in mind the spirit of its communication the colleges have no option but to defer the process of admission till clear-cut guidelines are received from competent authority.

The colleges listed in the UGC release which had agreed to implement the three-year programme included the Hindu College, Jesus and Mary, St Stephens, Miranda House, Sri Venkateswara, LSR College and Sri Ram College of Commerce.

PTI