DU Teachers favouring FYUP continues protest against UGC

Delhi University teachers favouring the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) continued their hunger strike for the second day on Wednesday, even as University Grants Commission (UGC) ordered for its roll back.

The protesters, primarily teachers on contractual basis, blamed the Human Resource Ministry and UGC for the mess, accusing them of politicising the matter and trying to end the autonomy of colleges coming under Delhi University (DU).

"The HRD Ministry and the UGC are playing a game of coercion with Principals. They are coming out with their mandate and are trying to convert colleges into autonomous bodies," said former president of the Delhi University Teachers Association, Aditya Narayan Mishra.

Rajesh Jha of the university's academic council lashed out at the authorities for trying to revoke the FYUP, and said they were trying to force their decision on the colleges.

"We are fighting against rule of mobs and there should be rule of law. A friend of ours was beaten up by people of some students' organisations. Will the university run like this?" said Jha.

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.