FYUP course will not be scrapped: UGC to FYUP Students

New Delhi, June 25: Students of Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) enrolled under DU's four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) called off their protest Tuesday after being assured by the University Grants Commission (UGC) that their course will not be scrapped, even if the previous three-year degree course is implemented.

"We have met the representatives of UGC and have been assured that they will give priority to the demands of B.Tech students. Therefore, we have decided to call off the protest," Amit Kumar, a student of B.Tech in Delhi University, told IANS.

The students early Tuesday held a protest saying the scrapping of the FYUP will create hurdles for them as they won't be left with any specialisation once they complete their course. The fate of over 2.7 lakh applicants this year is in the lurch due to the tussle between the UGC and DU over scrapping of the FYUP, which was implemented last year.

The UGC had issued notice to DU and directed scrapping of the FYUP. It also directed DU to enrol new applicants under the previous three-year undergraduate course, failing which the commission warned of freezing funds to the university.

"Whether the government rolls back FYUP or not, our only demand is that B.Tech should not be discarded as they are planning to transform B.Tech into B.Sc. We have joined DU for B.Tech, not B.Sc," Akshay Kachroo from Maharaja Agrasen College told IANS.

Prashita Jaishwal from IP college for women said: "Students who took admission in electronics came to DU because it was offering a B.Tech degree. But now if the government backs out, our future will suffer adversely."

The raging controversy also saw the resignation Tuesday of DU vice chancellor Dinesh Singh, who was one of the main members behind the implementation of the FYUP.

"I hope the UGC understands the significance of the B.Tech course. Even though we are students of the most reputed university of the country, we have become a laughing stock," said Ananya Jagdish, another B.Tech student of IP college for women.

"The university and the UGC should understand that by dragging the entire controversy it is losing its credibility," said Jagdish. Over 50,000 applications have filed for 2,500 B.Tech seats.

IANS