New Delhi: Brushing aside the resistance of Delhi University Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh, the UGC Tuesday asked the varsity to dump the controversial four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) and implement the old three- year course which a majority of the colleges has accepted.
The UGC's reiteration of the order came on a day of high drama when DU's media coordinator circulated a message that the "VC has resigned", which his supporters later denied.
A day after the DU colleges' principals association decided to defer admissions, the UGC today said 57 of the 64 colleges under the DU, including prestegious ones, have said that they are complying with its directive to start admissions for the three-year programme.
The release also listed the colleges which have agreed to implement the three-year programme that inclue the Hindu College, Jesus and Mary, St Stephens, Miranda House, Sri Venkateswara, Lady Sri Ram College and Sri Ram College of Commerce.
"Today, the UGC sent another communication to the University of Delhi directing it to immediately issue a letter to the Delhi Colleges for admitting students to the three-year undergraduatge programme, the UGC said in a press release after six hours of deliberations with HRD Minsistry officials.
The UGC's further hardening of stand came on a day of dramatic developments when the university's media coordinator Malay Neerav sent an SMS in the afternoon that "VC has resigned".
Victory celebrations broke out among students and teachers opposed to the FYUP but the VC's supporters claimed he has not resigned.
Both the VC and his media coordinator remained inaccessible for the rest of the day.
However, in a late night SMS statement, Neerav said the "VC hasn't put in his papers".
"The Pro VC Shri Sudheesh Pachauri has already clarified in his press briefing that faculty members of the university met the VC and made an honest request to the VC that he must not resign," his statement said.
In today's statement, the UGC assured all the students that none of them will be put to any inconvenience and their "interest will be protected".
B.Tech students of DU, who had staged a protest in front of the UGC office here, said they met senior UGC officials who have assured them of keeping their interest in mind while deciding on how to seamlessly migrate to the three-year programme.
The deadline set by it about implementing the three-year programme expired yesterday but the DU failed to send its compliance report to the UGC.
It had sent another communication yesterday evening but the DU failed to send a compliance report today.
The Commission has already constituted a standing committee, headed by its its vice chairman, to advice the DU for migration from FYUP to the three-year undergraduate programme.
Yesterday, the Principals' Association of the DU had decided to defer the admission process that was to start today covering over 2.70 lakh applicants vying for over 54,000 seats in 64 colleges.
