DU council approves new UG curriculum framework with 176 credits

The Delhi University’s Academic Council (AC) on Wednesday passed with dissent a plan to introduce the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework 2022. Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP), the curriculum framework outlines 176 credits for a four-year honours degree and 132 credits for a three year degree.

The proposal will require the approval of the university’s Executive Council before it is implemented. Once approved by the EC, the framework will serve as the blueprint for the implementation of the four-year undergraduate program (FYUP) from the 2022-23 academic session. The next EC meeting is scheduled for Friday.

DU registrar Vikas Gupta confirmed that the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework 2022 offering 176 credits had been passed by the AC. He added that the council members had also authorized the vice-chancellor to make minor changes to the language of the framework, if required.

The academic council, which has about 100 members, passed the agenda after a discussion on the framework. At least 11 elected council members recorded their dissent against the framework. In their dissent note, they outlined that the implementation of NEP 2020 will result in a massive reduction of the current workload since students will be able to earn credits for non-core courses from other universities.

“In the proposed UGCF, a student will earn Honours degree with 20 DSC (Discipline Specific Core papers), that is, with 80 credits out of a total of 176. DSCs will constitute only 45.4% of the total credits. In the name of “choice” and multidisciplinary, this is a huge dilution of Honours courses and an attack on the University’s right and duty to design a credible framework which provides a rounded and robust education. This will also lead to massive job reduction,” the dissent note stated.

Dissenting members also raised the issue of non-conformity of the UGCF with the draft National Higher Educational Qualification Framework (NHEQF) which proposes 160 credits for a four-year degree along with other concerns pertaining to dilution in academic rigour and value of the degree. They also said that the removal of English from the Ability Enhancement Course (AEC) would lead to massive workload reduction in English departments across colleges.

Rudrashish Chakraborty, associate professor, Department of English, Kirori Mal College, said that the English department will lose 30% of its existing workload owing to the loss of AECs since the framework only restricts AECs to the Indian Languages as per the VIII Schedule of the Constitution.

Mithuraaj Dhusiya, AC member, said that the reduction in the total number of credits from 196 to 176 for a four year program would lead to a reduction in the existing workload and displacement of ad hoc teachers. “Combined with Multiple Entry and Exit System and ABC, we are looking at very turbulent times ahead in DU,” said Dhusiya.

Abha Dev Habib, secretary, Democratic Teachers’ Federation and former EC member, said that the framework passed by the AC was not as per the draft National Higher Educational Qualification Framework (NHEQF). “The concept of FYUP resulting in multiple certifications is in itself so faulty that no sensible framework can be designed. Since this model is not as per draft NHEQF, we might be pushed to adopt yet another framework suddenly announced by the UGC. This restructuring is not our organic need,” said Habib.