Delhi HC says UGC-DU row over FYUP will be heard in July

The Delhi High Court today refused to hear on an urgent basis the UGC-DU row over the four-year undergraduate programme saying it requires an effective hearing which cannot be done by a vacation bench and asked the aggrieved parties to approach it in July after the holidays.

"We understand the situation. The matter requires effective hearing which can't be done by a vacation bench. There will only be a few days delay. It will be heard by the roster bench in July," a bench comprising justices Pratibha Rani and V Kameswar Rao said.

The observation was made by the vacation bench before which two cross petitions seeking a final resolution to the conflict between Delhi University and University Grants Commission was listed for hearing.

A PIL by an advocate sought restoration of the earlier pattern of three-year honours courses as directed by UGC, while the other, by a group of students admitted in FYUP last year, is against the commission's decision.

Senior advocate Meet Malhotra mentioned the matter on behalf of the eight students of Maharaja Agrasen College who are pursuing their four-year course under the FYUP and are in favour of the same, while the PIL seeking scrapping of FYUP and restoration of the earlier three-year programme was mentioned by advocate R K Kapoor.

Kapoor has sought a resolution of the "controversy" saying, "Most of the university's colleges are deferring admissions, leading to confusion among lakhs of aspirants just a day before the admission process was to begin."

He has contended that "FYUP violates the National Education Policy 1986, which advocates the 10+2+3 system, and therefore it is necessary, that DU must revert to the earlier system".