DU, Delhi govt spar over College of Art admission; VC says will speak to authorities

AUD comes under the Delhi government and the decision on the merger was announced in March last year. Teachers and students both at DU and CoA had then criticised the decision.

On Monday, 11 teachers—including EC members Seema Das and Rajpal Singh Panwar, and AC members C M Negi, Kapila Mallah, Alok Pandey, and Sudhanshu Kumar—wrote to the V-C about the courses in fine arts which have started. “This is to bring to your urgent attention that the Principal of College of Arts, has formally started the admission process in BFA & MFA courses for the academic session 2022-23, as a part of Ambedkar University. This development is consequent upon a meeting to this effect held on 9.5.2022,” they wrote.

“Such an unfortunate action is in contravention of the Acts and Statutes of Delhi University and also violates the decision of the Executive Council which has duly rejected the de-affiliation of the College of Arts from Delhi University. It should be noted here that the Lt Governor has clearly ruled that any such step towards merger is subject to ‘the de affiliation of College of Arts from Delhi University,” they added.

The teachers asked the V-C to “make the necessary interventions immediately to stop the dismemberment of the University of Delhi” and “to start the admission process of College of Arts for the academic sessions 2021-22 and 2022-23 under the aegis of Delhi University as per the decision of the Executive Council”.

DU vice-chancellor Singh said the university would take stock of the matter. “We had written to CoA around a month ago telling them that they should start their admission process as part of DU as they have done earlier. We have only got to know about this today. I will speak to the authorities there,” he said.

CoA officiating principal B S Chauhan did not respond to calls and texts. A response was also not forthcoming from the Delhi government.

Last week, the DU Teachers’ Association (DUTA) had written to the V-C alleging that students who want to be admitted to CoA were not getting the option to apply on the National Testing Agency portal as it was not appearing under the list of colleges in DU.

DUTA has demanded that the admission notice be withdrawn.

“Also, admission of 2021-22 and 2022-23 sessions to BFA and MFA courses in College of Art affiliated to DU must start immediately. DUTA also demands that the University must convene an emergent meeting of the Executive Council to consider and adopt a resolution to take over the College of Art if Govt of NCT Delhi is reluctant to fund this premier College,” said DUTA president A K Bhagi.