The University of Delhi (DU)’s plans to introduce technical courses from the 2022-23 academic year are in limbo, with the Ministry of Education yet to give its final approval for the decision. However, senior officials in the university said they were prepared to start the courses as soon as they receive a nod.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh made the announcement about starting three technical courses – Bachelors in Technology (B.Tech) in Computer Science and Engineering, B. Tech in Electronics and Communication, and B. Tech in Electrical Engineering – in March, while talking about DU’s centenary celebrations this year.
As per DU’s plans, the three courses will have 120 seats each, and will be offered by the Faculty of Technology. Other colleges are not allowed to run B.Tech courses as per the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) rules. However, there has been no news of implementation of the plan since the announcement.
Saying that the matter was now with the Ministry of Education, Registrar Vikas Gupta told The Indian Express: “We had planned to start it this year, but it may be slightly delayed. The UGC (University Grants Commission) had recommended our proposal around three to four months back and is now pending with the Ministry (Education). They had asked for more details such as the building plan, the number of faculty required, etc. We have sent them all the relevant information”.
When asked if DU was prepared to offer the courses in the upcoming academic session, if it received the ministry’s approval, Gupta said, “Why not? If we get the approval today, we can start the courses in August. There is no problem. The first year of B.Tech has papers in Physics, Chemistry, and Maths. All three subject departments are very strong in DU, so we should not face any hurdle.”
The university will shift to a four-year undergraduate programme in the upcoming academic session, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. The Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF), adopted by DU, is an attempt to include two of the most talked-about features of the NEP – multidisciplinarity and multiple exit-points through the course.
Dumping its old system of admissions through cut-offs on the basis of Class 12 board marks, it is shifting to admissions with the Common University Entrance Test (CUET), which is being conducted between July 15 and August 20.
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