Delhi University brings in more flexibility for fourth-year UG students

Delhi University allows fourth-year BA, BSc, and BCom students to pursue additional electives and research, but only Honours students receive "honours with research."

Undergraduate students of Delhi University (DU) pursuing BA, BSc and BCom Programme (P) courses will now have the option of pursuing additional discipline-specific electives (DSE) and a skill-based elective (SEC) in their fourth year to obtain an honours degree, according to the university.

The same was approved in an executive council meeting held in May. (HT Archive)

To be sure, four-year UG students enrolled in Honours courses as well as Programme courses both have the option of pursuing research in their fourth year. However, only students pursuing Honours will get an “honours with research” degree, while students enrolled in Programme courses will get an “honours” degree, regardless of whether they take the research route or opt for the DSE and SEC.

The same was approved in an executive council meeting held in May, according to the minutes of the meeting, which have been included in the agenda for an executive council meeting this Saturday.

“There were some concerns expressed regarding the implementation of 4th year UG programmes for students of the School of Open Learning and NCWEB (Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board). The operationalization of the three tracks of the 4th Year UG programmes, viz. Dissertation writing, Academic Projects and Entrepreneurship may be challenging in view of the quantum of students who may possibly progress to the 4th year. There was thus a need to bring in some flexibility to students for the 4th year,” the EC agenda mentioned, a copy of which was accessed by HT.

The move comes at a pivotal juncture when the university is set to start classes for its first batch of UG fourth-year students, under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022. Under the National Education Policy’s (NEP 2020) UGCF, the conventional three-year UG course is now a four-year programme with multiple exits.

Students enrolled in Honours who decide to opt out after three years get an “honours” degree and those who complete four years will get an “honours with research” degree. Students enrolled in Programme courses will get just a simple degree after three years and an “honours” after four years, according to the agenda.

Raj Kishore Sharma, dean of research, DU, said, “There were a lot of questions on programme students, considering the huge number that might end up in the fourth year. This decision was taken to provide greater flexibility.”

“This last minute insertion of a new alternative course structure makes it more evident of what we have been claiming all along, that DU is ill prepared for the four year NEP in terms of infrastructure, manpower and course design,” said Mithuraaj Dhusiya, an elected council member.

Teachers, however, expressed concern about the same.

Maya John, a history teacher from Jesus and Mary College, said, “The flexibility being proposed for the programme courses is deeply problematic. This creates a huge irregularity and unnecessary inequality by undermining actual research work that may be pursued by programme UG students.”

“Further, with many programme students having pursued the DSE Research Methodology paper in their sixth semester, it is unjust to now deny them an honours degree with research, if they seek to pursue dissertation writing or academic projects in their fourth year,” she added.

According to the minutes of the meeting, such students can opt for an additional number of DSE and an SEC of two credits “related to the core discipline each in the Semesters VII and VIII…”. The total number of credits in each semester will amount to 22.