DU Academic Council approves 26 courses for 4 years prog

New Delhi, May 6: The second day of the marathon meeting of the Delhi University's Academic Council tonight saw the clearance of 26 subjects for the new four-year programme, bringing the total number of courses approved to 54.

Council member Sanjay Kumar said “42 courses in Discipline 1, Discipline 2 and Application, 11 foundational courses and another course have been approved. The meeting today was attended by over 100 members".

The meeting, which went on Wednesday night, gave nod to syllabus for courses including computer science, mathematics, economics, operational research, statistics, political science, social work, commerce, management studies, African studies, East Asian studies and music.

Syllabus for history and sociology will be approved in a meeting of the Council. The Council had passed 28 courses in an over 12-hour-long meeting on Wednesday.

The Council also discussed changes in the university ordinances, including changes in the nomenclature of degrees, admissions under reserved categories, internal assessment in the four-year undergraduate programme.

Instead of the baccalaureate degrees proposed to be offered under the four-year course, Council members have come to a consensus that a diploma will be given if a student exits after two years, a bachelor's degree after three years and a bachelor's degree with honours or a B.Tech degree on completion of four years.

The decision comes following the University Grants Commission's directive that the Delhi University could shift to a four-year system, but it would have to retain the conventional nomenclature of degrees.

Another change passed by the Council was regarding the admission under the reserved categories. Till now admissions for candidates from the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and people with disability (PWD) were conducted centrally.

From this year, SC/ST and PWD admissions will be decentralised and colleges will declare a cut-off list for students under these categories. The courses passed by the Council will be discussed tomorrow at an Executive Council meeting.

The four-year programme with multiple degree options will entail a shift from the present 10+2+3 scheme to a four-year graduation with multiple exit points.

The new system, which is being watched closely by other universities, seeks to introduce interdisciplinary pedagogy, enhance the quality of education and impart employable skills.