Delhi HC refuses early hearing of two cross petitions on DU's FYUP

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined permission to urgently hear two petitions on the Delhi University's Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP).

The plea challenging the University Grants Commission's (UGC) notification to scrap FYUP has been filed by Delhi University professor Aditya Narayan Mishra.

Supreme Court advocate R. K. Kapoor on the other hand filed a petition to restore the earlier three year academic programme.

"The court was of the view that since one of the judges in the division bench cannot hear the matter, therefore, since the matter is to be heard by divisional bench, a regular bench, which would be constituted on 1st of July, 2014 would hear the matter. Therefore, the court has fixed the hearing for 1st of July, 2014," said Kapoor.

Meanwhile, students of B. Tech course, favouring four year undergraduate programme (FYUP), protested outside University Grants Commisison.

One of the protesters, Sonakshi, demanded that their B. tech degree should not be scrapped.

"We want that our B. tech degree should not be scrapped and it should be continued for four years so that the batches in the coming years can pursue the same degree. If they change our B. tech degree to B.SC then there will be no value of our course," said Sonakshi.

On Tuesday, the UGC informed that 57 out of 64 colleges under DU have agreed to revert back to the three-year undergraduate programme.

Reports also said that DU Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh had resigned over the raging controversy.

The UGC had on Sunday issued a directive to DU asking it to scrap the FYUP. The order fuelled criticism from some quarters that the UGC was trying to over step its boundaries.

DU students as well as aspiring students have been facing a lot of difficulties due to the ongoing tiff between the UGC and the university over the FYUP.

The Supreme Court had also dismissed a petition asking it to intervene and resolve the matter. It has instead asked the petitioner to approach the high court.