100 teachers reject DU’s 4-yr prog, want Dinesh Singh sacked

In a special general body meeting of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) on Sunday, at least 100 teachers passed a resolution rejecting the university’s new four year undergraduate programme (FYUP) and asked for Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh’s dismissal.

In a special general body meeting of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) on Sunday, at least 100 teachers passed a resolution rejecting the university’s new four year undergraduate programme (FYUP) and asked for Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh’s dismissal.

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In the meeting, held in the driveway of Ramjas College after permission to hold it in the college’s auditorium was revoked, teachers spoke out against the FYUP calling it “anti-people, anti-student and anti-teacher”.

Terming the FYUP “against national education policy”, the teachers’ resolution stated that the new programme “will place students admitted to DU at a disadvantage in employment and postgraduate educational opportunities”. Calling the structure of the new programme “ill-defined”, the resolution stated that “in its attempt to combine academic pursuits, vocational skills and parts of school curricula, it will produce students who are proficient in none”.

Meanwhile, DUTA president Amar Deo Sharma said that resolutions from 32 college staff associations were received and most of these had also rejected the four year programme.

Explaining the teachers’ exception to the multiple-exit options, teacher Rama Sinha said it is “social apartheid” and will encourage drop-outs. Teachers also raised concerns about education becoming more expensive. “This is especially relevant when you consider SC/ST and OBC students who will be further alienated not only due to expenses but also compulsory foundation courses in English,” said Kaushal Pawar, teacher, Motilal Nehru College.

Promising to continue the agitation against the FYUP by all means, teachers even threatened to strike work in July, when the programme comes into effect, if required. In a separate resolution, teachers condemned DU Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh’s negative remarks against them and called for his resignation.

Shouting slogans such as “V-C Down, Down”, the teachers also marched in protest from Ramjas College to the Conference Centre, where the V-C was holding a meeting with the empowered committee on foundation courses.

Meanwhile, DUTA secretary SD Siddiqui called Sunday’s meeting “illegal”, saying it was held without consultation with the DUTA executive. However, DUTA president Amar Deo Sharma said, “Around 108 teachers had given me a written requisition on April 29 to hold a special general body meeting on the new programme.”