New Delhi, June 23
The admission process in Delhi University colleges has been delayed as the institution failed to comply with the directions of the UGC to roll back the controversial Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) and revert to the old 10+2+3 system for fresh admissions. The varsity had been told to comply with new rules by today but no such report had come till late in the evening.

The result – the first cut-off list for admissions to DU colleges, which was to come today, was delayed as most colleges after a meeting of principals decided to wait until the UGC-DU row was resolved.

Students protest in New Delhi.

The HRD Ministry said it won’t interfere as both DU (an autonomous institution) and the UGC (a statutory body) were competent to address the standoff. HRD Minister Smriti Irani, however, said the UGC was supreme and its directions must be followed. She had an unexpected supporter in the Congress which openly backed the UGC move to order withdrawal of the course. It was during the Congress regime that the course was implemented.

Congress spokesperson Shibha Oza said, “First we had thought the course would benefit students but later a survey by NSUI showed there was no infrastructure to run it and students were suffering. We support its withdrawal.”

Ministry sources said the course was illegal as the ordinance which gave effect to it was neither approved by the President of India, who is Visitor of DU, a Central University nor the UGC.

Sources said if DU continued to resist the rollback, it would have to face the consequences of running an illegal course whose degree will remain un-recognised.

Parents, said sources, could move courts against DU if it continued to defy UGC's orders. Though the Delhi University Act of 1922 does not provide for the removal of the V-C, legal experts told The Tribune today that the Visitor of a Central University (such as DU) can in extreme circumstances invoke his inherent powers to remove the V-C. "The power to remove is inherent in the power to appoint which the Visitor has," said experts adding that removal of the V-C was not an impossibility in a worse case scenario. Even the Central Universities Act of 2009 under which the government established 15 newcentral varsities, clearly provides that the Visitor can at any time remove the V-C for "incapacity, misconduct or violation of statutory provisions after offering him a hearing".

Official sources ,when asked if V-C could be removed for continued defiance, said, "There are several options open though we believe the DU will have to eventually comply with directions."

The day saw hectic parleys as the UGC’s committee on the FYUP held a meeting to decide on the future course of action. The UGC has already told colleges to admit students under the old 10+2+3 system (provided under the National Education Policy 1986) or face withdrawals of grants.

Today, at its committee meeting, the UGC considered the following suggestions — do away with the need to fill application forms for DU admissions. Students can be simply admitted on the basis of cut-offs. It was also suggested that students who took admission to BTech courses under the FYUP should not be disturbed. 

UGC supreme: Irani

* The HRD Ministry said it won’t interfere as both DU (an autonomous institution) and the UGC (a statutory body) were competent to address the standoff. HRD Minister Smriti Irani, however, said the UGC was supreme and its directions must be followed.