Teachers question DU's readiness for FYUP as new academic session nears

NEW DELHI : With the new academic year at Delhi University set to begin on August 1, faculty members have voiced concerns alleging unresolved syllabus issues related to some postgraduate courses and the newly introduced fourth-year undergraduate programme (FYUP). There was no immediate response available from the varsity over the allegations.

This will be the first batch of students to enter the fourth year under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF), a component of the National Education Policy (NEP). However, teachers claim they are still awaiting clarity on the final syllabus, despite the proposals being approved in Executive Council meetings held on May 23 and July 12. Several faculty members allege that due process has been sidestepped, and key decisions were made without adequate consultation. Many of the changes were passed despite formal dissent notes from teachers, further fuelling frustration.

Abha Dev Habib, associate professor at Miranda House, criticised what she called political overreach in academic matters. "We hear that committees have been set up which are dictating terms. This is unconstitutional and is owing to excessive interference by BJP-RSS," she alleged, accusing the university administration of disregarding academic autonomy.

Mithuraaj Dhusiya, an elected member of the Executive Council, said the university is not equipped to support the expanded curriculum. "DU is still not prepared for the fourth year NEP- UGCF ," he said, citing shortfalls in infrastructure, budget and faculty.

Further highlighting institutional tensions, Rudrashish Chakraborty, an associate professor at Kirori Mal College, pointed to undue external influence on academic content. "Outsiders have been pressuring departments to alter syllabi," he said, noting that such interference had prompted the resignation of the head of the history department. "No academic can survive here without compromising integrity." With the clock ticking down to the start of classes, the alleged unresolved syllabus concerns cast doubts over DU's preparedness for its most significant academic transition in years.