“The four-year undergraduate degree may or may not be inherently superior to the three-year degree. However, the vice chancellor of Delhi University must, in principle, be accorded the respect and autonomy to follow the statutes that govern the university and, with the approval of the academic and executive councils, carry out the changes that they believe will strengthen DU’s position as a centre of excellence.” Shashi Tharoor, former minister of state for HRD and Congress MP
“The course content left much to be desired. Dreams of a progressive international standard programme were deftly sold but not backed by ample preparation. While countries like Japan took several years in preparation before making the changeover to the FYUP, Delhi University achieved this feat in a matter of months! This is a case of high handedness by vice chancellor Dinesh Singh of Delhi University.” Nalin S. Kohli, BJP spokesperson
“The regulator, the University Grants Commission, takes out a front-page notice against India’s foremost public university, warning against admissions in its four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), as if this university was just another of those fraud universities against whom the public needs to be warned. This very same regulator sat silent when issues were raised about the four-year programme when it was first introduced.” Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi
“The four-year format now before us adds a maze of courses with multifarious aims. Some will focus on enhancing moral values and integrating mind, body and heart, others on more earthly, marketable skills, and the remaining on academic subjects... Now comes the credit system to complete the fantasy of being in America. Every university in India today will feel tempted to join this fantasy.” Krishna Kumar, professor of education, Delhi University
“Anyone who deals in higher education will know that such speed and lack of real discussion seriously undermine even the most minimal academic standards.” Jayati Ghosh, economics professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi
“A change as big as this should have gone through after three-four years of debate but it was passed in a matter of three days… Intellectuals from across the country opposed it. But it was still pushed through.” Nandita Narain, president of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA)
“I feel the four-year programme is nothing like the dream that was sold to us. The foundation courses are utterly ridiculous. We were told that the foundation courses would make us employable. It is my honours degree that will provide me employment, not a foundation course that teaches me about prime numbers and how the solar system works.” Pritish Menon, BA (economics) student of Deshbandhu College
(Compiled from www.ndtv.com, Indian Express, Times of India, The Hindu, www.firspost.in)