For this academic session, Delhi University has scrapped the ‘fail’ clause for students studying under the three-year undergraduation programme. Till last year many students had to repeat a year, primarily due to low attendance.
Also, the vice chancellor (VC) had earlier announced that students will not be failed under the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), which is being implemented from this academic session.
The July 27 notification by the registrar stated that consequent upon implementation of FYUP from the academic session 2013-14, arrangements will be made for students who have failed in their first or second year of three-year undergraduation format in the semester mode, and for those who were unable to appear in examinations for any reason.
Senior officials said that because the varsity is seeing a change from three- to four-year undergraduation degree, a relaxation has been given.
“Students do not have to repeat a year and will be promoted. They will have to repeat exams to get a degree though. But such relaxations will not be given every year to students,” said an official.
The School of Open Learning students will not be given the relaxation.
Students welcomed the change, urging for its continuation. “The concept of fail should have a different parameter. Yes, students can be weak in some subjects and may score less, that does not make them a failed student. The varsity has brought in FYUP, which has a no-fail clause,” said Shraddha, third-year Political Science student.
“If FYUP was designed to maintain quality and simultaneously introduced a no-fail culture, it would have been a great reform. But in a badly designed curriculum, you scrap the option of fail, which will only lead to a degree of no value,” added Shraddha.
While teachers said many universities, including the Institutes of Technology (IITs), also have a similar no-fail clause, others felt that the new system will over burden students as they have to give exams of their new as well as the failed semester together.