New Delhi:
Almost silent till a few months ago under UPA 2, the Congress' student body found a voice right outside Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani's residence this morning.
Demanding a rollback of the controversial four-year undergraduate program of the Delhi University introduced last year National Students' Union of India (NSUI) wanted the Union HRD ministry to act, and act soon.
Much before the NSUI, other students unions like SFI, ABVP and even the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) have openly objected to the four-year course that the BJP had promised to rollback in its election campaign.
This afternoon at Parliament though, the Union Minister's answers seemed non-committal. Attacking the NSUI for forgetting that the four year course was introduced under the UPA regime, Ms. Smriti Irani said, "DU is an autonomous body. I can't interfere in its working."
But professors say both the ruling party and the opposition are conveniently using the autonomy argument to its own convenience, jeopardising the future of thousands of students.
Professor Saikat Ghosh, who teaches English at Khalsa College and is an executive Member of DUTA explains.
"Delhi University's autonomy has been subverted. There are several statutory violations in how it was brought in. And even the four-year course is completely ill conceived and diluted in how it is being offered."
Professor Abha, a member of DUTA'S Executive Council adds, "Autonomy is not absolute and we have to remember that. There is no assessment of development of infrastructure. These violations were allowed to push FYUP through back door. We have suggested how this can be rolled back without academically impacting the students who had to take it up last year."
Sources say that though no decision has been taken on the rollback it is under consideration. But the worry is that the admission process is already underway at Delhi University colleges and since the first cut-off lists will be declared in another fortnight, it effectively means the government is on a tight deadline.