THE CONTROVERSIAL four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), which was discontinued by Delhi University on June 27, was introduced last June by the varsity in all its 64 affiliated colleges in the national capital. The FYUP, which replaced the original three-year BA/B.Sc/B.Com degree programme, was designed to spread across two semesters annually, totaling eight semesters over four years. The salient features of the theoretically well-designed FYUP were:
Foundation courses. The first two years of the programme require all students to compulsorily complete 11 foundation (core) courses — language, literature, and creativity — I and II (English); information technology; business, entrepreneurship, and management; science and life; Indian history and culture; building mathematical ability; governance and citizenship; philosophy, psychology, communication and life skills; geographic and socio-economic diversity; environment and public health.
Discipline 1 (major): In the first year, a student chooses her major known as Discipline 1. DU offered 40 majors to choose from. Twenty Discipline 1 papers must be completed over four years.
Discipline 2 (minor): At the beginning of the second year, a student chooses her minor from across disciplines.For instance, a student majoring in maths can choose to pursue political science or history as her minor while a student of English literature could choose to study physics, chemistry or even mathematics as her minor. Over four years, six Discipline 2 papers must be cleared.
Application-based courses. Four application-based courses grounded in the selected major are mandatory (beginning from the second year) and designed by respective departments to increase students’ employability.
Integrating mind, body and heart. This course is compulsory in the first year and includes life skills, discussions, mental health awareness, etc.
Cultural activities. Participation in cultural activities for all students mandatory during all the four years.
Multiple exits system. The FYUP offered multiple exit points to students with several certification options. Students exiting after two years of study are awarded diplomas, after three years a bachelor degree, and after completing FYUP a bachelor’s (honours) degree. Moreover those exiting before completion of FYUP were allowed to resume study of the BA (Hons) programme, to be completed within eight years.
New pedagogies. All courses are interactive and based on a practitioner’s approach. Group discussions, interactive analysis, hands-on-training, research and project work to be encouraged.