Delhi University teachers bat for 4-yr-course, go on hunger strike

A group of Delhi University teachers in favour of the four-year undergraduate programme went on a 24-hour long hunger strike on Tuesday to protest against the University Grants Commission order for its roll back.

The teachers, under the aegis of Academics for Action and Development, alleged that the UGC's directive to the university was an "assault" on its autonomy.

"It is an attack on DU's academic freedom and autonomy by the UGC on the behest of ministry of human resource development and this hunger strike is to resist the attack on academic freedom of higher education institutions," S K Mishra, AAD's press secretary and a professor at DU, said.

Mishra said the outfit's president Aditya Narayan Mishra had on Monday through the media made an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter.

Claiming all rules were followed in the introduction of FYUP, Mishra said, "The programme had been passed by the university court, academic and executive councils and then sent to the President, visitor of the university. If no negative remark is received from him within a month, it is considered to be passed."

AAD said it will continue its fight against the UGC order.

"We have asked all in favour of FYUP to join us at University Gate No 1 in North Campus. After 24-hour long hunger strike, we might go for relay hunger strike," he said.

Photograph: Delhi students protest in front of Shastri Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday. Image: PTI