DU Academic Council Clears Key Proposals, Makes Way For Dual Degree Programmes

Besides approving the implementation of dual degree programmes, the DU Academic council has also approved the proposal for special moderation for students facing adverse circumstances.

New Delhi: The Delhi University’s Academic Council on Thursday approved a proposal to implement dual degree programmes, which allow students to pursue two academic degrees simultaneously through regular and open learning modes, amid dissent by teachers’ representatives. The council also gave its nod to a provision for special moderation for students facing adverse circumstances that hinder their ability to complete the course within the stipulated time.

Such students will be given a special moderation to the extent of maximum 10 marks for a single leftover paper in addition to any grace mark already applied. Students who couldn’t appear in exams due to COVID-19 barring them from completing their degree will also be given a special chance to complete the course. 

The promotion guidelines for teachers of departments and centres of the University of Delhi were also accepted with some modifications. A provision has been made to completely waive tuition and hostel fees of orphaned students enrolled on reserved seats at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. During the meeting, some syllabi of different departments as per the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework-2022 were also approved.

For those students who have not studied Hindi till class 8, an aptitude enhancement course called Hindi EL (proposed in Semester-I/II) under the Hindi Department was also approved.  Under the Department of Economics, the syllabus of three DSE papers titled Economic Thought of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Semester III/V); Economy, State and Society (Semester III/V); and Production Relations and Globalization (Semester IV/VI), was also approved to be started from the academic session 2022-2023 on the basis of UGCF-2022.

Meanwhile, a proposal to offer twinning degree with foreign institutions was deferred by the council amid protests. It will be tabled for consideration in the next meeting.  “After we strongly protested against the twinning degree programme, the university was forced to take this agenda back. They admitted that homework needs to be done on this issue before it can be placed in AC meeting for discussion,” Mithuraaj Dhusiya, elected member, Academic Council, said.

The council also postponed the proposal to offer 40 per cent of courses as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) through Swayam portal after opposition by a section of the council members. The AC will be reconvened on the agenda item ‘strategic plan 2022-47’ as its members did not want a rushed decision on long-term planning for a public-funded university like DU, Maya John, assistant professor, said. The AC members also opposed changes in the rules for promotion of university department teachers, lapses in admission through CUET, among other proposals.

They raised concerns related to displacement of ad-hoc teachers, delay in releasing salary of teachers and pension of retirement teachers, granting of maternity leave to ad-hoc employees, among other issues.  The members of the Left-affiliated Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) submitted a dissent note over the changes in the promotion rules condemning its passing in the meeting.  The 1016th meeting of the Academic Council held under the chairmanship of Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh started after a brief halt amid opposition by the AC members over the new promotions rules.

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

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