Delhi University passes CBCS system for new session

Delhi University's Executive Council (EC) on Tuesday passed the controversial Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) with the varsity's Academic Council (AC) approving the syllabi of all 125 courses a day before. This will be implemented from the new academic session starting July 20. Sources said that out of 111 EC members, 79 approved the courses and gave a nod to the new system while five members voted against it.

The CBCS provides students the choice of selecting subjects from the prescribed courses (core, elective or minor or soft skill). "The system has been finally approved by the EC and the university will now go ahead with the process of implementing it. The system will be sent for further approval to the university's court chaired by the vice-chancellor," an EC member told Mail Today. The university court has the authority to review the acts of the EC and AC.

Many Delhi University teachers, who are critics of the CBCS, have alleged that the system is being implemented in the same manner as the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) rollback. The contradictory statements and the alleged undecided approach on CBCS implementation had earned the university authorities a lot of flak.

The current academic calendar of Delhi University has been going through a roller-coaster ride with the FYUP being rolled back and the introduction of CBCS from 2015-2016 session. The introduction of the FYUP last year had led to massive protests by DU teachers and students alike. After the rollback of the FYUP, the syllabus for third-year students has been restructured in accordance with the semester system. Those in second year will also be following the old semester format with the CBCS pattern being rolled out for first-year students.

Meanwhile in another development, 28 university court members have submitted a letter to the vice-chancellor opposing the implementation of the CBCS. The Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) has also expressed its anguish against the Ministry of Human Resource Development and blamed the Union government for the rushed implementation of CBCS through statutory violations. "The caretakers of the university are helping the V-C violate the rules.

The FYUP lacked quality and same will be the case with Choice Based Credit System," a senior DU professor wishing to remain anonymous told Mail Today. To protest the implementation of the CBCS, DUTA had organised a continuous dharna outside the vice-chancellor's office for two days that saw the participation of a large number of teachers and students alike. Nilotpal Basu, former Rajya Sabha member, and JNUSU president Ashutosh had participated in the dharna in solidarity. In order to send out a strong message to the government, the university's Academic Council members had also sat on a 24 hour sit-in in the Council Hall.