Govt wants UGC-DU to resolve matter between themselves

As uncertainty mounted for students following the row over the four-year undergraduate programme of Delhi University, government today made it clear that it will not intervene and wanted the UGC and DU to resolve the matter between themselves.

Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani today held two meetings with University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Ved Prakash, a day after the higher education watchdog directed DU and all 64 colleges under it to conduct admission only under the three-year undergraduate programme or face "consequences".

The UGC had sought complaince of its orders by forenoon today.

Prakash also held a meeting with Delhi University Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh, who is in the eye of the controversy for introducing the 4-year UG programme in DU last year. Secretary Higher Education Ashok Thakur was also present during this meeting.

Sources say Irani is also understood to have expressed her displeasure over the delay in solving the matter with the DU authorities as the admission process to the undergraduate programme kicks off from tomorrow.

Irani is of the view that the government should not intervene and that UGC and DU should sort out the matter between themselves and ensure that precious time of students is not wasted, the sources said.

The sources added that DU has not sought the approval of the Visitor, who is the President of India for the FYUP Ordinance and neither was it sent to the HRD Ministry or sent to the President before introducing the course.

Sources said the DU has neither taken the mandatory permission of the UGC before introducing the FYUP course and thus the controversial FYUP has "no legal validity".

Sources also claimed that the previous UPA government "misled" Parliament on the programme by saying that the DU had all necessary clearances before introducing the new course.