DU split over change in format

The new format,DU claims,will offer students the flexibility of choice,conditioned by interdisciplinary exposure.

“There are 11 foundation courses that a student will learn in the first two years,irrespective of the discipline enrolled in,” a university official said.

That’s not all. The students also get to choose between a major and minor discipline paper,thereby,not being restricted to only one subject.

“There is enormous flexibility in the programme. A history student can,in principle,choose chemistry or mathematics as the minor discipline. If she chooses to take six minor discipline papers,the student would be eligible to study it at the post-graduate level. This was not an option before,” Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh said.

The multiple exit options — after two or three years of the course — are cited as another positive.

Singh said,“Around 30 to 40 per cent of students drop out of college. While we are not encouraging anyone to drop out,the university should recognise the knowledge a student amassed during the time in college. The new course also leaves it open for a student to come back and complete the programme in future.”

And with the division between the Honours and Programme courses removed,each student will be eligible for an Honours degree.

Administrators said a major drawback of the three-year programme was that it produced graduates with lower employability.

“The three-year programme gave the students nothing in terms of employment opportunities. I have met representatives of some of the best corporate institutions. Even for very basic jobs,they did not find a single student who met their standards. The foundations courses will help students acquire both communication and data analysis skills. All these add to what a student can offer a prospective employer,” the V-C said.

Further,with skill-based courses or applied courses offered after the completion of one year,the supporters of the new format argue that rote learning will be done away with.

Infrastructural changes

n Free laptops for all first-year students of 4-year programme

n Each college to get 1000 MB bandwidth of internet access

n Each classroom to be equipped with LCD screens,video cameras

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