UGC sets today’s deadline for compliance by DU on FYUP

NEW DELHI: With admissions delayed over the FYUP row leaving students in the lurch, Delhi University Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh and registrar Alka Sharma remained incommunicado throughout Wednesday as the University Grants Commission kept up the pressure. In the evening, UGC wrote to DU asking it to direct colleges to start the admission process immediately while asking for compliance of its directives on scrapping of the four-year undergraduate programme by Thursday.

UGC secretary Jaspal Singh Sandhu reminded Sharma of her June 23 letter to colleges in which she had annexed the commission’s directive and told them “it is self-explanatory”. Now UGC has asked Sharma if the June 23 letter implies compliance. “We are confident our latest directive will be complied with. DU administration is getting increasingly isolated. Our demand for compliance is non-negotiable,” said a UGC source. University has been told that because of its refusal to comply there is uncertainty among students, parents and other stakeholders.

UGC’s confidence emanates from the fact that many former teachers, considered close to the VC, came up with a proposal agreeing to three-year honours undergraduate degree but also retaining FYUP for some courses and in some form. But UGC is unrelenting. Though UGC officials met them, the commission also made it clear that “compliance from DU has to be unconditional”. UGC also said the proposal made by those close to VC will be referred to the Standing Committee that has been set up to oversee migration of students from FYUP to the three-year course.
UGC sources also denied that DU VC was threatened of police case at any point. “UGC will not do anything that takes the focus away from admission and students. Section 24 of the UGC Act says that any contravention of its directive can result in fine. DU VC has not been threatened,” a source said.

While UGC kept waiting for compliance, it was decided that no backroom parleys would be done with the university. Decision by academics to come up with a formula was the first sign that DU administration could be buckling under public outcry.