Varsity approves credit system amid opposition
Delhi University’s executive council on Thursday gave the go-ahead to introduce the much-debated Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS).
After the statutory body’s approval, its adoption will now depend solely on the University Grants Commission’s ( UGC) directive. “The resolution for the introduction of CBCS was passed by the executive council after accepting the recommendation of the academic council. The resolution was passed with five people dissenting,” said a senior university official.
The dissenters were Abha Dev Habib, Ajay K Bhagi and court members Rajesh Gogna, Ajay Kumar and JL Gupta.
The ministry of human resource development has been trying to implement the new academic system in the country for some time. Termed as a studentcentric approach, the government says the system will allow students to undertake multidisciplinary subjects and complete a course in a different institution by transferring credits. With the UGC at the forefront, the body has prepared the draft syllabi and asked universities to send their feedback. The UGC had allowed the universities to divert only 20% from the syllabi, which had appeared as the major bone of contention with the students and faculty opposing it.
“As per the need, syllabi in universities are changed from time to time. Now, now all of a sudden, common syllabi can’t be imposed. Every university has its own uniqueness so that cannot be diluted,” said Nandita Narain, DUTA president.
Around 50 college staff associations had already rejected the system, terming it as a four-year undergraduate programme in disguise. The other problem that UGC acknowledges is the requirement of infrastructure and improvement of the teacher-student ratio, without which mobility is not possible.
During the day, two student bodies clashed over the issue, with some members of the All India Students Association (AISA) getting injured. AISA students said members of the Delhi University Students Union and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad beat them up with sticks at the Arts Faculty. ABVP said it was AISA that started hurling abuses at its members.