DELHI UNIVERSITY’S FYUP ROLL-BACK BUT ‘OFFER’ TO WTO-GATS STILL NOT WITHDRAWN

ALL INDIA FORUM FOR RIGHT TO EDUCATION
अखिल भारत शिक्षा अधिकार मंच Secretariat: 306, Pleasant Apartments, Bazarghat, Hyderabad 500 004

सबको शिक्षा एक समान, मांग रहा है हिंदोस्तान !

23rd June 2014
P r e s s R e l e a s e
DELHI UNIVERSITY’S FYUP ROLL-BACK BUT ‘OFFER’ TO WTO-GATS STILL NOT WITHDRAWN;
INTRANSIGENCE OF DU VICE CHANCELLOR AND HIS TEAM PROVIDES GROUND
FOR URGENT & DECISIVE INTERVENTION BY VISITOR, PRESIDENT OF INDIA

The ALL INDIA FORUM FOR RIGHT TO EDUCATION (AIFRTE) salutes the resolute struggle led by Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) and several progressive teachers and students organizations for the past two years to achieve the roll-back of the ill-conceived Four-Year Undergraduate Program (FYUP), imposed hastily and undemocratically by Delhi University administration from the academic year 2013-14 onwards. Violating the academic structure of the National Policy on Education, 1986 (NPE-1986), the FYUP played havoc with the future of lakhs of students, disrupted the democratic environment essential for the creative functioning of the university, and seriously impacted the academic content of the undergraduate program of this premier central university.

The principled and united struggle under the common platform viz., the “Save DU Campaign” has finally forced the University Grants Commission (UGC) to shoulder its responsibility for ensuring that the 10+2+3 academic structure specified by NPE-1986 is implemented by all universities across the country. UGC’s advisory has asked the Delhi University administration to take all necessary steps to adhere to the 3-year undergraduate program and to make appropriate arrangements to ensure that students admitted last year do not lose an academic year in obtaining their degrees.

AIFRTE condemns the continued intransigence of Delhi University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dinesh Singh and his team for their failure to implement UGC’s directive with immediate effect in the interest of the students currently being admitted to the undergraduate program. This team has already brought much shame and misery upon the academic community. Its persisting obstinacy is not just unacceptable; AIFRTE instead demands urgent and decisive intervention by the Visitor, the President of India, so that the University can, without further delay, begin the task of course correction. At the same time, AIFRTE appeals to the Delhi University community to rise to the occasion and take over the task of ensuring a smooth shift back from FYUP to the 3-year undergraduate programme in its own hands so that UGC does not get an opportunity again to override University’s internal autonomy.

AIFRTE cautions the university community across the country to recognize that the experience of the University of Delhi is not an isolated local matter. Reportedly, Bangalore University is already directed to implement FYUP. As long as the central government does not withdraw the 'offer’ (made by the earlier NDA regime and carried forward by the UPA governments) to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS) to treat higher education as a ‘tradeable commodity’, the threat to the national system of higher education will remain. The present NDA government must withdraw its 'offer’ of higher education before the completion of the Doha Rounds of GATS negotiations so that it does not become an irreversible threat to national sovereignty and academic independence by subjecting higher education to international trade regulations.

(Prof.) Madhu Prasad

Spokesperson & Member, Presidium, AIFRTE