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DU's 4-year UG programme gets mixed reaction from academicians- 25-Mar-2013
New Delhi: With just three months remaining for the start of a new session, Delhi University is facing dissent from a section of teachers and academicians on its much-hyped four-year undergraduate programme.
Members of the Task Force, who formulated this structure, say that "it is to increase the possibility of jobs" while those opposing the programme say "it will only help in postponing the unemployment problem by one year". Delhi University Registrar Alka Sharma told that the new structure will address the needs of the job market. "We want the students to start taking practical experience with studies," she said. As per the new structure, there will five application papers in the new structure which will help students get the practical experience of the subject they have chosen. These papers will start from second semester. "The application papers will prepare students according to the needs of the market. This will help in employment. Suppose a student of Hindi will know about translation and creative Hindi writing which will prepare them for practical field," explained Virender Bhardwaj, member of the academic council and 61-member Task Force. "The extra year is not required. If they want to bring changes like application courses they can bring within in current three year system itself. Teachers don't have enough time to teach the four papers each semester and now in the four year structure they are going to give six papers per semester which is absolutely inhuman," Head of Mathematics Department in St Stephen's College Nandita Narain said. Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) is critical of the system saying the University is rushing towards "unnecessary" reforms and demand a proper debate on the matter. "This is a unilateral decision. It will defer the problem of unemployment by one year," DUTA Executive Council member Abha Dev Habib said. There will be 11 foundation courses such as Modern Indian Language, Information Technology, Business Entrepreneurship and Management, Communication Skills, Geography, History Culture and Civilisation, Environment and Public Health which are compulsory for the students of all disciplines and which will be taught in the first two years. According to University sources, a committee comprised of around 8-9 members is also formed to study the admission and examination criteria of this new programme. The committee will study the division of seats to different courses. This new four-year structure which will be implemented this year is recieving criticisms from teachers and principals and meeting the deadline is of a big concern for this Committee. Students and teachers are showing anguish over this structure while some say an extra year will help in making students an "all-rounder". "The foundation courses will of school level which of no use. We have no guidelines received on the application courses till now. We don't know what will be there in application courses," associate professor in Ramjas College Vinita Chandra said.
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