Amid protests from some of the Academic Council members, the University of Delhi passed the agenda on implementing the provisions of offering four-year undergraduate degrees and multiple entry-exit systems (MEES). These provisions under the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will be implemented from the next academic session 2022-23.

The Academic Council dissent note opposed the “Recommendations of the NEP Implementation Committee on the structure of UG Program of the University of Delhi”. The dissenting members of AC said that the University of Delhi has not asked for detailed feedback on the report of the NEP implementation from all stakeholders including members of all relevant statutory bodies.

Even though DU uploaded the report on the DU website on 20 February, it did not specifically ask for the submission of feedback on this report. The note called for the report to be sent for discussion to all statutory bodies, like the Committees of Courses, Staff Councils, Faculties, etc. before taking it to the Academic Council.

Dissent note said, “The fixing of the academic year 2022-23 as the year of implementation of NEP 2020 is baseless as first there needs to be detailed discussion and wider consultation on NEP 2020 among all stakeholders and only then we can determine whether NEP 2020 will be feasible in DU at all.”

The dissenting members said that the implementation of NEP 2020 will see a massive reduction of the current workload.

The NEP implementation makes it clear that Multiple Entry and Exit Schemes (MEES) and Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) will be implemented in DU with only core courses to be left untouched. With this students can earn credits for all other (non-Core courses) from other universities. This was observed to undermine the DU degree and academic culture in the university.

The dissent note said, “two credit courses of the erstwhile FYUP “mind-body-heart” type have been reintroduced as Social and Emotional Learning and Entrepreneurship and co-curricular activities,” and added, “DU had such a disastrous experience with such types of courses and clearly it has not learnt from past experiences.”

The University had the experience of the erstwhile FYUP (introduced in 2013 and withdrawn in 2014 after huge protests). Students had rejected the FYUP mainly because of the additional expenditure for the fourth year.

There was a survey carried out amongst students in 2013 that showed “students were spending close to Rs 1.5 – Rs 2 lakhs per year in staying in Delhi to receive education,” said the note.

“Students also rejected the FYUP because of the severe dilution of the first two years of the course. The new model falls into the same trap by offering inconsequential courses in the first two semesters,” said the dissenting AC members.

The MEES along with the burden of extra expenditure will encourage dropouts. This is expected to hit women students as well as others from marginalized and underprivileged sections, as per the council members.

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