Four-year DU course challenged in court

Terming the Delhi University's new four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) as "illegal", a group of legal professionals moved the Delhi High Court Wednesday to demand "uniformity in education" across the country.

The plea said that the proposed degrees which the university would award after the completion of FYUP were not recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Acting Chief Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Vibhu Bakhru would now take up the matter July 17.

The varsity is to implement a controversial four-year undergraduate programme with multiple degrees from the academic session starting this month.

Forum for Indian Legists, a body of legal professionals, and some advocates who are former students of the university said the introduction of four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) by DU will lead to "disparities in the education system".

Petitioners' advocate Manoj Sharma said it will upset the equilibrium required for allround development in the field of education.

The National Policy on Education (NPE) which was adopted and approved by parliament in 1992 provided 10+2 years in school and three years in graduation as the structure of the education system, the petition submitted.

It added that the university was bound by the policy which was adopted by parliament.

The lawyers' group challenging the introduction of FYUP said: "The proposed drastic change apart from being in gross violation of the National Policy on Education is also a violation of the principles under the constitution."

The DU had no power to cause total restructuring of the education system and making it as 10+2+4 affair from 10+2+3 pattern, the petition said.

The petitioners asked the court to declare that the National Policy on Education which, till date, has not been superseded, was mandatory and binding upon Delhi University too.

The petition also made Delhi University, the UGC and the human resource development ministry as parties in the case.