File photo of Delhi University campus
Hundreds of teachers and students protested in Delhi today against a choice-based credit system, or CBCS, that they allege will help the government control universities.
It proposes a standardised course for all the 400-off central universities across the country, which has raised the hackles of academicians and students' bodies. The critics claim it leaves little room for creativity and will ultimately lead to a lowering of academic standards.
Congress leader and former Indian Youth Congress general secretary Ajay Maken, who took part in the protest, said, "This is completely against the democratic functioning of universities and we'll take the fight nationwide."
Alleging that a complete overhaul of the university is being attempted in six pages by the University Grants Commission, the students say that their views weren't considered neither was there any consultation mechanism.
Rajesh K Jha, senior lecturer at Delhi University, denounced the Human Resource Development Ministry's proposed meeting of Vice Chancellors of all central universities on Tuesday for the implementation of the new system from this academic session.
"This is nothing less than the imposition of CBCS from the top by the HRD ministry with a clear design to control academics. This has taken away the autonomy of all central universities, which has been granted by the respective acts of the Parliament and statutes and ordinances therein," Dr Jha said.
"Not only university system, even the IITs, IIMs are crying hoarse against the ministry's move to curtail their autonomy," he said, referring to the much criticized IIM draft bill, that is likely to be tabled in the coming Parliament session.