Over 60% of DU undergraduate students opt out of 4th year of FYUP: Education Ministry

Over 60% of the students enrolled at Delhi University decided to opt out of the fourth year of the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) in 2026. The data from central universities presented in response to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday also reveal that out of the 46 central universities, 20 have either still not implemented the provision or their first batch of students in the new system are yet to reach the fourth year.

Apart from DU, other central universities where at least a thousand students have opted out of the fourth year include Manipur University, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University. The FYUP is a key recommendation of the National Education Policy 2020 and was written into the University Grants Commission’s regulations in 2022. However, FYUP implementation has been patchy and hobbled by infrastructure and teacher shortages.

“NEP 2020 provides for undergraduate degrees of either three or four-year duration with multiple exit options within this period, with appropriate certifications. Some students avail this provision for various reasons, including securing admission to professional programmes such as MBA, obtaining employment after completing three years of study, or owing to personal or other circumstances,” said Sukanta Majumdar, minister of state for education in a reply to the question by Congress MP Rajeev Shukla.

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DU: Over 43,000 student opt out

Delhi University has an undergraduate intake of around 71,000 across its 63 affiliated colleges. The first batch to take admission under the new regime was given the option of staying for a fourth year of BA, BCom, BSc or another UG programme in 2025-26. Teachers and students have repeatedly highlighted the university’s unpreparedness for the fourth year as DU kept changing rules and guidelines mid-session, throwing the entire batch and its teachers into confusion.

Earlier this month, DU college principals flagged low enrolment in the fourth-year with the vice-chancellor and recommended a “cluster” model for four-year programmes.

While in Manipur University, which largely runs UG programmes through its affiliated colleges, a total of 1,639 students opted out of the fourth year. The university implemented the fourth year in 2022.

Another central university, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, which started the fourth year in the 2022-23 academic session, saw 1,171 students opting out.

For both Manipur University and Garhwal University, 2026-27 will see the second batch of students joining the fourth year.

At Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, 394 student opted out of the fourth year. At Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow , out of the total 1,224 UG seats, including the BTech, around 280 students (23%) opted out. This university implemented the programme in the 2023-24 academic session.