DU council seals new four-year programme

Delhi University’s executive council on Thursday put a final stamp on the new four-year undergraduate programme.

Delhi University’s executive council on Thursday put a final stamp on the new four-year undergraduate programme.

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Despite widespread protests and apprehensions, the meeting of the academic and executive councils approved the changes in the curriculum and ordinances on Thursday, paving way for the new system to come in force from the coming academic session.

The course will have three exit options. After two years, a student will be granted a diploma, after three years a Bachelor’s degree and after four years a Bachelor’s with honours degree. The mandatory foundation courses will be completed within the first two years. The end-semester examinations for these courses will be worth 40 marks while the internal assessment will be worth 35 marks.

The discipline 1 (major) and discipline 2 (minor) subjects will have end-semester exams worth 75 marks each, while the remaining 25 marks will be based on internal assessments. In subjects where practicals apply, they will get a weightage of 50 marks. Five hours per week each will be devoted to discipline 1 and 2 while foundation courses will be taught for three hours per week.

The criteria to get an honours degree has been brought down from 50% in the final semester to 40%. Now the criteria to get a degree at the end of each exit point will be 40%. Students who fail to clear a paper can reappear for it in the corresponding semester.

For example, a student who fails to clear a paper in semester one will be able to reappear for it in the third semester.

The changes were made part of the university rules with six dissents (objections) in the academic council and two in the executive council.

Some teachers have been voicing their objections to the new programme on the basis of lack of desirability and discussion.