New Delhi: The Delhi University Principals' Association (DUPA) has urged the university to rationalise the rollout of fourth-year undergraduate programmes, citing low student enrolment and concerns over the financial and academic feasibility of offering the additional year across all colleges.
In a letter addressed to the Dean of Colleges, DUPA said that enrolment trends indicate limited student interest in continuing to the fourth year under the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), making it difficult for every college to run all fourth-year courses.
The association said that based on enrolment data for the academic year 2025-26, around 30 per cent of students opted for the fourth year.
"However, for the Academic Year 2026-27, only a limited number of students have, thus far, expressed interest in continuing to the fourth year," the letter said.
Referring to discussions with principals of various colleges, DUPA said it may not be "financially, academically or administratively feasible" for every college to offer all fourth-year programmes, particularly where enrolment is very low.
The principals' body suggested that the university identify and designate selected colleges, including cluster colleges, to offer specific fourth-year programmes based on infrastructure, faculty strength, academic resources and student demand.
Such a model, it said, would ensure optimum utilisation of resources while maintaining the quality and sustainability of the programmes.
The letter, signed by DUPA Secretary Savita Roy, has also been marked to the Dean (Academic) and the Registrar of the University of Delhi.
Meanwhile, the Academics for Action and Development Teachers Association (AADTA) has raised concerns over admissions to the newly introduced one-year postgraduate programmes, seeking measures to avoid disruptions for students.
In a representation addressed to Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh, the faculty members urged the university to allocate one-year PG seats to colleges, arguing that the current allocation to university departments is "meagre and insufficient".
They noted that colleges have already been allotted seats for the existing two-year PG programmes and should also be accommodated under the one-year PG framework.
The teachers also flagged a likely admission anomaly, saying many fourth-year undergraduate students have already taken admission to two-year PG programmes through CUET-PG but are awaiting the one-year PG admission lists.
If they shift to the one-year programmes, seats in the two-year courses are likely to fall vacant, they added in the letter.
To address the issue, the faculty representatives urged the university to reopen the admission portal for two-year PG programmes after the one-year PG admission lists are announced.
This, they said, would enable eligible fourth-year students who do not secure admission to the one-year courses to apply for the two-year programmes, preventing seats from going vacant.
The representation has been signed by Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) representatives as well.
The two representations come amid the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP)-aligned academic framework at Delhi University, with both principals and teachers seeking course corrections to ensure a smoother transition to the fourth-year undergraduate and one-year postgraduate systems.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.