Get, set, go?

DU `ready' to switch to the new choice-based credit system mandated by the UGC The University of Delhi (DU) has decided to adopt the choice-based credit system (CBCS) from the 2015-16 academic session. In an official communication sent to deans of different faculties, it has sought feedback on the draft syllabi prepared by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for 18 subjects initially, to which the syllabi of 10 more subjects have been added. A committee of experts and academics has submitted to the UGC a report containing the proposed syllabi and scheme of examination. Following this, the commission has given 15 days' time to stakeholders to reply with suggestions, feedbacks and comments. According to Malay Neerav, PRO, DU, the university is ready for a transition to the new system. “The academic council has already given its in-principle approval while the faculties are working on the feedback to be shared. Depending on instructions from the UGC, we will move to the next stage.“While some are sharing their response directly with the UGC, others are doing so via the university administration. “Teachers from various colleges sent their feedback to the UGC and shared a copy with me. So far, nearly 200 comments spanning several pages have been submitted,“ says JP Sharma, head, department of commerce, DU. These are not the departments' submissions but individual opinions, he clarifies.Members of DU's arts faculty met on May 13 to discuss the way forward. However, after framing the syllabus, not much is clear about the way ahead, even though several faculty members continue to dissent against what they say is a hastily imposed system. AK Bhagi, who was a member of the committee appointed by the vice-chancellor to create a discussion paper on the CBCS as well as suggest implementation guidelines, says, “We were supposed to put together a concept paper explaining what CBCS meant so that discussions could be held with the faculty. But even before any debate could happen on the matter, the UGC took over and released the draft syllabus.“ He argues that all faculty members did not have adequate time to understand the system.