Defer Delhi University's four-year course: Jaitley

BJP leader Arun Jaitley has urged Union Minister for Human Resource Development M.M. Pallam Raju to defer the introduction of four-year undergraduate programme in the Delhi University, saying the issue requires a debate.

"I am of the opinion that the introduction of this course should be deferred for some time and extensive discussion be held amongst the academic community before the switchover decision is implemented," Jaitley appealed to the minister in his June 4 letter, released to the media Thursday.

According to Jaitley, it was the discretion of the academic community to decide the duration of its course ordinarily, but he was "constrained to observe that adequate and extensive discussion within the university has not been held on the issue".

He said the issue of the content of curriculum had not been adequately discussed in various faculties and departments of the university.

"The impact of a three-year course becoming a four-year course, in terms of the socio-economic realities of India, has not been factored and it has not been discussed why the switchover to the four-year course is for one university and does not apply to the other universities," wrote Jaitley.