E-Paper
DU admissions: Choice-based system another version of FYUP?
The four year undergraduate progrm (FYUP)was rolled back by DU in 2014 amid opposition and controversy but the Choice-based Credit System (CBCS) reportedly a newer version of the same FYUP.
The choice-based credit system (CBCS) introduced by the Delhi University (DU) is a copy-paste of the controversial four year undergraduate programme (FYUP), a comparision of the draft syllabi prepared by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the FYUP suggests.
FYUP was rolled back by DU in 2014 amid raging controversy and opposition from the university’s teachers.
A closer look at the CBCS draft prepared by the UGC suggests not only the structure but also the individual subject syllabus are copied and pasted from the discarded FYUP system.
The copy-paste strategy is not just limited to core or compulsory papers, even elective courses retain FYUP syllabi.
On analysing the syllabi of BA (hons) in Economics offered by DU, it was found that 11 of the 14 core papers under CBCS are similar to the Discipline-1 (DC1) paper of FYUP. Both the core and DC1 papers are compulsory.
The UGC draft reads exactly like FYUP. For example, core course 2 reads same as DC1 paper 2, which is called Mathematical Methods in Economics-I. Starting from the objective to course outline it reads the same.
Economics is not only the subject. Paper 1 of CBCS core course for BA(hons) Histroy and FYUP DC-1 reads the same. The paper is called the Early India-I and the course outlines is pasted from the FYUP system.
“When you go through History syllabus, almost 80% of it looks similar to FYUP,” a professor of history in DU, said.
Discipline specific courses (DSE), general elective courses (GEC) and ability enhancement courses have been drawn from FYUP syllabus. Explaining the discrepancy, Inder Mohan Kapahy a UGC member said, “It is quite natural that the syllabus be similar as it has been prepared by Delhi-based teachers.”
However, he added that the UGC only makes model syllabus. “Though the UGC has said that they can deviate 20% of the syllabus, but it will not intervene even if university change the syllabus by 40-50%,” Kapahy said.
Under the CBCS, students have to study four discipline specific courses, two interdisciplinary courses and four ability enhancement courses. four-year-undergraduate programme was made in hurry and now having similarly executed CBCS is only going to destroy the education system,” said Nandita Narian, DUTA president.
