The UGC announces that students admitted in Delhi University's B.Tech course during the 2013-14 academic year will continue to pursue the four-year course they enrolled for
New Delhi: The UGC on Sunday said students admitted in Delhi University's B.Tech course during the 2013-14 academic year will continue to pursue the four-year course they enrolled for.
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Meanwhile, University Grants Commission (UGC) sources said a meeting to take a decision on the Bachelor in Management Studies (BMS) programme may be taken Monday.
The announcement came as a relief for nearly 2,500 students in the various B.Tech courses, even as Delhi University has rolled back its four-year undergraduate programme following instructions from the UGC.
This will, however, be applicable only for students already enrolled in the four-year B.Tech courses. From this year, students will be admitted to three-year courses.
"Four-year B.Tech programmes in Computer Science, Electronics, Food Technology, Instrumentation Electronics and Polymer Science (where students were admitted in colleges under Delhi University) and which are covered under section 22 of the UGC Act, with respect to B.Tech, may continue in these programmes only for the students already admitted for academic year 2013-14," said a UGC statement.
Colleges offering these programmes have, however, been asked to obtain approval from regulatory bodies such as the UGC and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to "ensure that students admitted in these programmes are not put to any disadvantage", it said.
The university started B.Tech courses in six streams - Computer Science, Electronics, Food Technology, Polymer Science, Instrumentation and Electronics and Psychological Science - as part of the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) started in the 2013-14 academic year.
About 100 B.Tech and BMS students protesting since the FYUP rollback, said they want the course to continue for the coming batches as well. They protested Sunday outside Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani's house against scrapping of the FYUP.
The protesting students said even the course will hold no value unless there are subsequent batches.
"We want the B.tech and BMS courses to continue. It should continue in coming batches or the course will have no value," said Rekha, a protester.
"If they say they want to scrap BMS, we want valid reasons. We will continue our protest," she said.
Akshay, a B.Tech student expressed similar concerns.
"We will get a B.Tech. degree, but it will hold no value if there is only one batch with this degree. It will be fine for those who want to do M.Tech. but it will be a problem for those who want to get a job after B.Tech.," he said.
They also tried to enter Irani's residence, but were stopped from doing so by personnel of the Delhi Police, which later put up barricades.
Delhi University on Friday scrapped the year-old FYUP.