Jun 27 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)
Row `unfortunate' & `unprecedented', say academics
Manash Pratim Gohain
|
New Delhi
TNN
|
Eminent citizens, including former UGC chiefs, vice-chancellors and academicians, have termed the FYUP controversy “unfortunate“ and “unprecedented in the history of any Indian university“.Jawaharlal Nehru University's vice-chancellor, S K Sopory, and former UGC chairman Yashpal urged both parties on Thursday to sit down and “restore the admission process to safeguard students’ interest”.
Sopory said, “They should sit together instead of writing notes and resolve it. Autonomy is an issue, but we have to look at it from a broader perspective, not just in terms of FYUP.” On vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh’s silence, Sopory said: “Maybe he should have explained his position to UGC and students. Whatever is good for students should be done. All
stakeholders should have been consulted while introducing the reforms.” Yashpal, however, held Singh responsible for failing to deliver on his promises. “It sounded good when he spoke about the interdisciplinary approach, flexibility and employability. But he never kept his promises and, in fact, this is worse than what was in existence. We just can’t put students’ career at stake. This is not about breach of any administrative autonomy, students’ autonomy is supreme.” Experts and academicians are saying autonomy exists only if DU is fulfilling certain basic conditions. “There should have been proper preparation before rolling out such reforms as it has national impact. There should have been proper preparation at the national level.In England when Open University came, they had 10 years of preparation,” said Rajya Sabha member Mrinal Miri, who was a former member of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), the highest advisory body on education for the central and state governments.Miri, who was also a member of UGC’s FYUP monitoring committee that had submitted its report last year, added, “It is sad that the university authorities are silent and UGC is trying to push things. Such a thing has never happened in the history of any Indian university.” On FYUP and its implementation, he added, “FYUP being a deviation from national education policy is a big issue and DU is not a standalone university.
Any reform in DU impacts other universities as well. Most importantly, all stakeholders should have been consulted.”
Sopory said, “They should sit together instead of writing notes and resolve it. Autonomy is an issue, but we have to look at it from a broader perspective, not just in terms of FYUP.” On vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh’s silence, Sopory said: “Maybe he should have explained his position to UGC and students. Whatever is good for students should be done. All
stakeholders should have been consulted while introducing the reforms.” Yashpal, however, held Singh responsible for failing to deliver on his promises. “It sounded good when he spoke about the interdisciplinary approach, flexibility and employability. But he never kept his promises and, in fact, this is worse than what was in existence. We just can’t put students’ career at stake. This is not about breach of any administrative autonomy, students’ autonomy is supreme.” Experts and academicians are saying autonomy exists only if DU is fulfilling certain basic conditions. “There should have been proper preparation before rolling out such reforms as it has national impact. There should have been proper preparation at the national level.In England when Open University came, they had 10 years of preparation,” said Rajya Sabha member Mrinal Miri, who was a former member of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), the highest advisory body on education for the central and state governments.Miri, who was also a member of UGC’s FYUP monitoring committee that had submitted its report last year, added, “It is sad that the university authorities are silent and UGC is trying to push things. Such a thing has never happened in the history of any Indian university.” On FYUP and its implementation, he added, “FYUP being a deviation from national education policy is a big issue and DU is not a standalone university.
Any reform in DU impacts other universities as well. Most importantly, all stakeholders should have been consulted.”
