Opposition to Delhi Universitys four-year undergraduate programme reached the heart of Delhi as sections of teachers and students gathered at India Gate on Monday evening to demand that the new course be rolled back. Around 100 protesters were detained and later released,Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi),S B S Tyagi said. No permission was sought for the protest. We told the protesters that Section 144 of IPC was imposed at India Gate and that a procession could not be allowed. We asked them to go to Jantar Mantar,but they refused. So,we detained them and let them off later, Tyagi said. With a candlelight vigil scheduled for 6 pm,the number of protesters swelled as waves of students and teachers joined the demonstrations,holding placards and shouting slogans. Resist the systemic discrimination of students from marginalised sections. Immediately scrap FYUP, read one poster. Another read,Diluted honours courses,farcical vocational courses,sky-rocketing fees,destruction of quality higher education. A student claimed that when protesters refused to leave India Gate,they were forcefully pushed onto buses and taken away. Our placards were torn. The degree of police clampdown today was greater than what we have seen earlier, Aranya Shankar,a DU student who was among the protesters detained at the Parliament Street police station,said. Talking about the need to take the protest to India Gate,Shankar said,We have approached all authorities. Protests have taken place in the university campus,outside Sonia Gandhis residence and MHRD,but the government has not taken any action. A teacher from Miranda House also claimed that protesters were forcefully taken away from the venue. We were holding a peaceful demonstration,when police started pushing protesters around to disrupt the protest. They forcefully lifted protesters,including children,women and disabled teachers,and pushed them into three buses. It shows the level to which the government is ready to go to implement the new programme, Abha Dev Habib said. University officials,however,said,The group opposing the four-year programme have been against any kind of reform in the university. Meanwhile,another letter to the Prime Minister was written by Justice Rajindar Sachar,journalist Kuldip Nayar,advocate Ravi Kiran Jain,among others,asking him to intervene in the matter. Stressing the need for bringing about the change at the national level and not just in one university,the letter stated,Such a basic change in the higher education system/policy should first be considered and examined by the MHRD and Parliament,in consultation with prominent educationists of India. We further request you that the impact on the minorities/SC/ST/OBC and financially weaker sections must be taken into consideration before such a plan is implemented. The financial burden of paying for a year more is a major concern for many families who send their wards to DU. DUs online application free for SC/ST students Students seeking admission to Delhi Universitys four-year undergraduate programme under the SC,ST and PWD categories will not be required to pay a fee if they apply online,Dean of Students Welfare said on Monday. Forms sold over the counter will cost Rs 50 for SC,ST and PWD students,while General and OBC category students will have to pay Rs 100. The online application form for General and OBC category students will cost Rs 50,university officials said. The forms will be available at 18 centres across the city. We are encouraging students to apply online, J M Khurana,Dean of Students Welfare,said.
