55% students opt for fourth year under FYUP

New Delhi University (DU) session began on Friday, greeting first-year students as well as those transitioning into the fourth year under the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), which is being offered in full for the very first time.

While orientation courses were held at numerous colleges to familiarize freshers, over 55% of the candidate students have opted to continue into the new fourth year.

DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh informed that 31,004 among the total 71,000 eligible students have opted out, i.e., over half of the eligible students have chosen to pursue the optional end of FYUP.

"Everything has been done to enable teaching and learning for the new students and first-time entrants into the fourth year," VC Singh said. He further added, "I assure our students that nobody should have any cause for concern."

Delhi University this year is offering 71,624 undergraduate seats across 79 programmes in 69 colleges. But with the introduction of the four-year undergraduate programme, students and even the teachers seem to be in disarray.

Speaking on their induction day, many of them expressed concerns about the ambiguity regarding the new structure, syllabus and academic map. "We've been told only that what was a three-year programme before is now a four-year programme. We have not been told how it works and what alterations have been made," said a fresher.

But postgraduates, particularly science postgraduates, have been suspicious. Honour physics students grumbled that DU's lab facilities are not up to the mark and become a hindrance to their research.

"The equipment in the lab is very outdated, rusty, and not research-friendly. DU must improve a lot before embracing the added burden of four-year undergraduates," opined Kriti Sharma, a fresher.