Twinning Degrees, Staff Promotions Get DU Nod AC Clears Extra Seats For Single Girl Students In PG Progs

Twinning Degrees, Staff Promotions Get DU Nod AC Clears Extra Seats For Single Girl Students In PG Progs 

Meghna.Dhulia@timesofindia.com  28.12.2024 

New Delhi : Principals and directors of all Delhi University (DU

) colleges were instructed during the academic council (AC) meeting on Friday to take steps to resolve pending promotion cases of teaching staff by Feb 28, 2025. The decision, made by the vice chancellor, was welcomed by the AC members. A letter on the directive was issued by the college branch. If colleges or institutions fail to complete the promotion process by the deadline, they must seek approval from the VC for an extension. The AC also approved the decision to reserve additional seats for single girl students in postgraduate programmes. Under this initiative, one seat per programme will be allocated for single girl students under the supernumerary quota. The university already follows this at the undergraduate level. 

The AC further passed proposals for value-addition courses, though these were met with criticism. “While value-addition courses are intended to enrich students' learning, they often lack the academic rigour and practical relevance needed for their inclusion in educational curricula. Courses like Viksit Bharat are prime examples of this issue, offering neither substantial academic content nor meaningful value. Instead, they burden students without significantly contributing to their educational growth," Mithuraaj Dhusiya, an AC member, said. 

Another AC member, Monami Sinha, expressed concerns about the proposed value-addition courses based on the Bhagavad Gita. "The proposed value-addition courses based on the Bhagavad Gita raise significant concerns at multiple levels. A university established under the secular principles of the Constitution should incorporate religious texts into the curriculum only for the purpose of critical analysis or as part of mythological studies, not to propagate religious doctrines or prescribe a particular way of life," she said. "We urge the institution to reconsider its design and adopt a more inclusive, critical and academically rigorous approach to value education," said Biswajit Mohanty, who is in the AC. Another proposal that was approved but faced significant backlash was the introduction of twinning degrees. 

Under the arrangement, a student will be able to complete one semester abroad. "The twinning programme undermines the principles of equity, accessibility and affordability. It risks creating degrees that are perceived as more marketable than the standard DU degree, thereby further marginalising students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds," an AC member said. The AC approved the implementation of NEP 2020 in the postgraduate programmes. Following extensive discussions, the draft of the "Postgraduate Curriculum Framework 2024" was also approved.