After the HRD ministry had questioned the Vice Chancellor earlier this year regarding the varsity's preparations on CBCS implementation, DU had maintained an undecided stand on the issue.
While UGC has already asked all central universities to implement the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) from the upcoming academic session, Delhi University is yet to direct its colleges, maintaining that it is "awaiting instructions from the Commission".
With the admission process to DU's undergraduate courses for 2015-2016 session set to begin this week, the colleges are in a quandary about whether they should prepare the syllabus, timetables and do workload assessment as per the needs and requirements of CBCS or continue with the earlier system.
"We are waiting for a direction from the University Grants Commission (UGC) after which we will take a decision regarding the implementation of CBCS," a senior university official said. "Meanwhile we are preparing for the same and are ready for the transition. Once we get to hear from UGC, we will follow the due process and take approval from varsity's statutory bodies and implement the same," he added.
The official, however, did not elaborate further on what instructions is DU awaiting from UGC after it had already conveyed to the varsities to implement CBCS from upcoming session.
The debate regarding the CBCS is intensifying with a section of academic fraternity rejecting the proposed reforms in the education system as a "crackdown on varsities' autonomy". Delhi University has been facing criticism from various stakeholders regarding its "undecided" approach and "contradictory" statements on CBCS implementation.
After the HRD ministry had questioned the Vice Chancellor earlier this year regarding the varsity's preparations on CBCS implementation, DU had maintained an undecided stand on the issue.
However, last month it had asked faculty heads to start preparation for the roll out of CBCS and had directed them to finalise the syllabi, triggering a backlash from some members of the varsity's Executive Council (EC) who alleged that the university is violating statutory norms as the issue was never placed before the EC.
DU had earlier maintained that it is bound to follow the directive from HRD ministry and implement CBCS as and when directed but it will bring the matter to statutory bodies once the "preparations" are done.
But later the varsity had asserted that it will not accept the UGC directive if its councils do not give a go ahead to the same.
Following the series of contradictory statements, the colleges are still seeking clarity from the varsity on whether or not CBCS will be implemented.
"There has been no communication from the varsity regarding CBCS. What are the colleges supposed to do? We have to make syllabus, timetables, appoint adhocs if required, do workload calculation and much more? With barely few days remaining for the admission process to begin, we are in a fix," a college principal said.
While Delhi University Teacher's Association is drawling parallels between the CBCS controversy and the now defunct Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), the history and the mathematics departments have also turned down the varsity's instructions to draft the new syllabus.
Terming the CBCS as a "cafeteria approach", UGC had in September last year asked all central universities to implement it from the ensuing academic session following a meeting of the vice chancellors of all varsities.
CBCS allows students' 'seamless mobility' across higher education institutions and transfer of credit earned by students.
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