DUTA Letter to MHRD, 6.7.2015

6 July 2015

Sub: Urgent appeal to defer implementation of Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS)

This is in continuation of our recent letter dated 25 June, in which we had drawn your attention to the illegalities that would be committed if the CBCS is implemented this year. We had pointed out that students can only be admitted to courses that exist, and not to courses that may be approved after they are admitted. Since no Ordinances exist as yet for courses under CBCS, the students admitted since 25 June 2015 have legally been admitted to the existing semester courses and cannot be post facto made to do courses under CBCS. These students have had to fill out admission and examination forms specifying paper titles which are, of course, taken from the existing semester courses.

With this letter we are sending you further details of the illegalities involved along with supporting documents (see attached Note with Enclosures).

A significant comparison may be drawn with the situation last year when the FYUP was rolled back on 27 June 2014. You will recall that admissions had been held up and were only started after the rollback decision had been taken. This time the admission process has begun and thousands of students have already been admitted.

Your crucial intervention last year which led to the rollback of the FYUP brought relief to thousands of students who had been made guinea pigs of an illegal experiment that threatened to ruin their careers. But if CBCS is implemented now for the students already admitted, even greater illegalities would be committed.

You have called a meeting tomorrow with Vice-Chancellors only. We hope you are aware that the Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University will not represent the real issues to you. His attitude, ever since the rollback of FYUP, has been of taking revenge against students and teachers for their opposition. He has adopted the same approach with regard to the implementation of CBCS. He has made no efforts to adhere to the statutory provisions for introducing any curricular change, and has merely taken the position that he was acting on the directives of the MHRD and the UGC. The CBCS was first brought to the Academic Council at its meeting on 15 January 2015 under ‘Any other item’ and adopted without allowing any discussion. Then it was a mere reporting item at the Executive Council at its meeting on 28 May 2015, again without any discussion. The Vice-Chancellor has no concern for the adverse consequences on the quality of teaching-learning of decisions taken so casually. It is indeed highly unfortunate that no action has been taken against him even after the issue of a show-cause notice to him by your Ministry on grave charges.

We may add that apart from the statutory violations that would occur, the University and its Colleges are totally unprepared for the drastic changes that would follow. Teachers would have to deal with three different course structures in each of the years of the undergraduate programme. Students would be subjected to extreme chaos and immense confusion. This would severely affect the teaching-learning process and adversely affect their careers.

We, therefore, urgently appeal to you to defer implementation of CBCS.