Optometry course name changed midway, Delhi Skill university students boycott exam, stage protest

“We were not informed about the change. We found out two weeks ago when the exam registration started. How is it possible to change the name of the course midway? There is no validity for this course,” said a student.

Several students alleged they were threatened with suspension for demanding written proof related to the course’s validity.

When asked about the changes, DSEU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ashok Kumar Nagawat said, “The nomenclature change is part of the universalisation of several Bachelors courses in DSEU, the name of the degree has no significance… the University has full academic autonomy and the courses are UGC approved. This step is being taken under the New Education Policy and will allow multiple lateral exits and entry for students.”

Registrar Professor Gagan Dhawan said the course syllabus will remain the same. “The focus lies in improving the skill set and making students industry-prepared. Unnecessary creation of commotion is part of pressure tactics,” he added.

The students of the two batches demanded immediate action on certain demands: Issuance of new admit card with B Optometry as the programme name; passing an official order regarding course nomenclature change to B Optometry; adequate availability of equipment in labs; issuance of a registration number for each student as a student of Bachelor in Optometry; rescheduling of the (boycotted) exams.

A notice was later put up, which said students and teachers were brought to a consensus with authorities.

The university, in the notice, assured that students from previous batches who have been admitted to the Bachelor of Optometry programme will be issued a degree with the same nomenclature and new admit cards will be issued with the same course title. In the examination papers, any reference to ‘BSc Optometry’ will be read as ‘Bachelor of Optometry’. A rescheduling of the examination was also assured to avoid inconvenience for students.