PRESS RELEASE: January 16, 2014

The first day of the cluster dharnas by the DUTA to press for the demand of the roll-back of FYUP and the immediate filling up of vacant positions in the university started off today at the following three venues: Aditi Mahavidyalaya in Bawana, Swami Shraddhanand College in Alipur and Mithas Plaza opposite Kamla Nehru College in South Delhi.

The dharna at Swami Shraddhanand College was attended by teachers, students and representatives of the karmachari union. Many students came up and expressed their views on the FYUP – how the Foundation Courses were a complete waste of time, how the FYUP was not what they had thought university education was about and how their dreams had been shattered. The College also held a meeting on the correct implementation of 200 point reservation roster which was addressed by the DUTA President.

Over 200 teachers and students of Aditi Mahavidyalaya gathered from 12 noon to 3 p.m. to demand roll back of FYUP. Students narrated their travails under the FYUP and also performed nukkad natak.

Teachers from these colleges expressed their opposition to the attempts at reserving 90% of the seats by the Delhi Government and hoped that the Government would reconsider the matter.

Over two hundred teachers and students from Gargi College, Institute of Home Economics, Kamla Nehru College and Lady Shri Ram gathered at Mithas Food Plaza to protest against the FYUP. While teacher activists including the office bearers of the DUTA addressed the dharna, students spoke out against the FYUP. They echoed the constant refrain that the Foundation Courses are a complete waste of time and demanded the roll-back of the FYUP. Posters and banners with slogans like “FYUP Roll-Back! DU V-C Go Back!” were displayed at the venue and protest songs were also sung.

The second day of the dharna series will see teachers from Deshbandhu College, Ramanujam College, Acharya Narendra Dev College, College of Vocational Studies, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (M & E), PGDAV (M & E) and Sri Aurobindo College (M & E) protesting at Select City Walk, Saket.