AISA’s Delhi wide ‘FYUP HATAO-BHAVISHYA BACHAO YATRA’

Yatra to Visit DU Colleges and Localities across the City and Collect Signatures on a Petition to the President Demanding Roll Back of FYUP!!

Roll Back FYUP! Save Our Future!

Friends,

Delhi wide ‘FYUP Hatao Bhavisya Bachao’ Yatra organised by AISA was flagged off from Arts Faculty, North Campus, Delhi University. The Yatra was flagged off by Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) President Prof. Nandita Narain. The Yatra will travel across the city of Delhi  and visit all colleges under DU and colonies and localities. In the course of the Yatra signatures will be collected on a petition addressed to the President of India, who is also the Visitor of DU, demanding the rollback of FYUP.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Yatra AISA leader Niraj said, ‘While the Congress-led UPA forcibly imposed FYUP, the BJP, despite being the principal opposition and having hundreds of MPs and MLAs, extended support through silence. While UPA awarded Padamshree to the DU VC, BJP’s Prime-ministerial Candidate Narendra Modi made DU VC an honoured guest at his Education Summit. Common students and teachers had hope in the AAP for intervention. Unfortunately the AAP too, during its 49 days stint in Delhi Govt and despite getting daily high-voltage media presence, remained significantly silent and non-interventionist on this massive corruption with education system of the largest central university of this country. And, the DUSU leadership, despite being elected on an anti-FYUP mandate, never led sustained struggle and allowed FYUP to continue.  Through this Yatra we will go to the students, teachers of DU and also to the citizens of Delhi and ask them to join the movement to roll back FYUP save Delhi University’

Flagging of the Yatra DUTA President, Nandita Narain said, ‘I congratulate AISA for undertaking this Yatra and DUTA will extend all its support to the Yatra when it visits various DU Colleges. It is very important for teachers and students to stand united against FYUP and fight a decisive battle to roll back FYUP. The DU VC should understand that we are not going to be scared of his intimidating tactics. I wish all success to the Yatra organised by AISA’

The Yatra visited Ramjas College, Kirori Mal College, Hansraj College and Hindu College where pamphlets were distributed and signatures collected on the petition. The Yatra will will visit Shradanand, Aditi Mahavidalaya and also visit the localities of Narela, Bawana and Alipur localities on 27.2.14.

Since 15 January, AISA had undertaken a massive campaign, seeking feedback on Four Year Under-Graduate Proframme, (FYUP) in Delhi University, from more than 17000 students. More than 90% of these students have stated that they still want to finish Honours in 3 years. Students openly proclaimed in the feedback that FYUP has proved to be a disaster. Thousands of teachers and students participated in numerous protests since the day it was unilaterally implemented. In a Referendum on FYUP held in August 22, 2013 out of 11,556 students 10,519 students (91.02%) voted against the FYUP. Yet the DU VC remains adamant in his authoritarian attitude and FYUP isn’t being scrapped. His aim is to reduce DU into a private teaching shop that churns out semi-skilled students as a reserve army required for low-paid jobs in the mushrooming corporate sector.

Our Experience in the First semester :-

•  Most non- DC papers are an utter waste of time and energy. The burden of sub-standard foundation courses don’t allow us to concentrate on courses of the main discipline. These unwanted courses and lack of infrastructure forcing us to stay in college till 5 pm.
• The ‘multiple exits’ options are nothing but attempts to get rid of dropouts. If we move after second year with a ‘DIPLOMA’, it will be a diploma in which subject?
• The Fourth year is also an extra financial burden of nearly 2 lakh rupees which most of us cannot bear. The FYUP enhances existing inequality in Indian society as hard working students of Hindi medium or rural background are overburdened with useless courses forcing them to drop-out in between.
• In FYUP, only 20 out of 50 papers in FYUP is from DC I; whereas, in 3 Yr Hons. 75% of the papers were from core discipline. So, despite spending both time and money on an extra year, the students will have less knowledge of their core discipline!
• In short, FYUP means un-specified ‘drop-out’ degrees (diploma) for those who cannot afford 4 years; and less knowledge and more costs for those who are forced to spend 4 years.

Honours in 3 Years for Present Batch is still Possible : If in the next two years (or four semesters) students are given a choice to NOT study the remaining 4 FCs, 4 Applied Courses, 6 Cultural Activity papers and 4 out of 6 DC II, than in our second and third year we shall get rid of 14 non-honours courses. In these 14 slots one can easily study those 6 DC1 + 2 Research (main honours) papers which are forced currently in the fourth year.

Students and Teachers of DU are fighting for the roll back of FYUP. However, all those political forces who have strong presence in the Parliament, Assembly and DUSU never chose to oppose and stall FYUP.

While the Congress-led UPA forcibly imposed FYUP, the BJP, despite being the principal opposition and having hundreds of MPs and MLAs, extended support through silence. While UPA awarded padamashree to the DU VC, BJP’s Prime-ministerial Candidate Narendra Modi made DU VC an honoured guest at his Education Summit. Common students and teachers had hope in the AAP for intervention. Unfortunately the AAP too, during its 49 days stint in Delhi Govt and despite getting daily high-voltage media presence, remained significantly silent and non-interventionist on this massive corruption with education system of the largest central university of this country. And, the DUSU leadership, despite being elected on an anti-FYUP mandate, never led sustained struggle and  allowed FYUP to continue.

It is now clear that if FYUP is allowed to stay and spread than it will completely ruin the higher education system of our country. It is a larger game. There is indeed a vested interest in degrading the affordable and quality education of DU – so as to benefit the private and foreign universities that are making a business of education! 

And no country can build a secure future without securing the quality of its universities and the future of its students. The need of the hour is to unite and strengthen the honest movement to roll back FYUP.

We demand an urgent intervention of the President of India who is also the Visitor of our University.

We appeal to DU students and the Citizens of Delhi to sign the petition to the President and volunteer, support the ongoing Delhi-wide March ‘FYUP HATAO-BHAVISHYA BACHAO YATRA’, starting on 26 February, 2014

Second Day

FYUP Hatao Bavishya Bachao Yatra Reaches Shradhanand College and Shyama Prasad Mookherjee College!!!

 Students and Teachers Respond Enthusiastically to the Yatra and Sign Petitions in Hundreds!!!

On its Second Day the FYUP Hatao Bhavishyo Bachao Yatra reached Shradhanand College and Shyama Prasad Mookherjee College. The students and teachers of both the colleges responded enthusiastically to the Yatra and signed the petition addressed to the President in Hundreds. AISA activists campaigned in the colleges and addressed the students in classrooms and within the college premises and distributed pamphlets. Students and Teachers congratulated AISA on undertaking the Yatra and making FYUP a city wide issue.

The students and teachers shared their experiences about FYUP with AISA activists and told them the kind of problems they are facing under FYUP. Rahul a student of Shradhanand College said, ‘I congratulate AISA for undertaking the Yatra against FYUP and making it a question of saving our future. All political parties have betrayed us on FYUP we hope the President will heed to the signatures of teachers and students.’
On its 3^rd Day the Yatra will visit Shivaji College, Rajdhani College and Lakshmi Bai College Tomorrow (28/2/14).

Sunny kumar

All India Students’ Association
9013757372, 9213974505