DU standoff: Academics to go on hunger strike today

Following the conflict between Delhi University (DU) and University Grants Commission (UGC) over the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), some academics are planning to go on a hunger strike on Tuesday.

Former Delhi University Teachers' Association president Aditya Narayan Mishra told ANI, "This is an attack on the autonomy of university by Ministry of Human Resource and Development and UGC. Their aim is to ward away the bright students away from DU to private colleges. We are trying to fill posts of faculty, but they don't want us to do that. They earlier said that the course shouldn't end before three years. In many other universities, four year course is on, but they don't oppose that. Here 56,000 students come, while in other universities around 500 students are there. UGC doesn't have to power be an administrator."

Mishra also added, "In a video, NSUI and ABVP students attacked a faculty member, Yogendra Kumar but no action has been taken and in protest of this we will go on hunger strike.It is unfortunate that the university, known for adhering to its schedule, is being destroyed.

The govt and ministry is hell bent on the federal structure of this university. Now university will be running from politicians' houses."

The first cut-off list for admissions to the Delhi University was supposed to come out on Tuesday but has been deferred following the UGC's directive to the University to dispense with the FYUP. The conflict has affected thousands of students who are waiting to get admission in the prestigious university.