Asserting that the identity of the College of Art (CoA) is being lost as Ambedkar University (AU) is "stealthily snatching College of Art (CoA) from Delhi University", 11 members of DU Academics for Action and Development wrote to Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh urging him to secure the "best legal representation" for the varsity in the matter. The letter stated that the CoA is facing a "harsh situation of losing its identity and existence".
A member of the DU's Executive Council and one of the authors of the letter, Seema Das, said, "In the last hearing in the Delhi High Court on May 17, due to poor representation on behalf of the DU, the order went in favor of AU. The university has been asked to conduct admission to CoA as part of AUD. We have asked the Vice-Chancellor for proper representation," she stated.
The teachers mentioned in the letter that the interim order "went in favor of AUD" as far as the admission for the current session is concerned, as stated in a report by PTI. The letter pointed out, "The same order has given two weeks to DU for filing an appeal and nowhere does it endorse the merger of CoA with Dr BR Ambedkar University Delhi."
Ambedkar University, which is funded by the Delhi government, announced that a committee has been formed to ensure a "smooth" process for admission in various courses of the College of Art for the academic year 2022-23.
Because of this, a day later, the letter was given to the VC. The letter read, "Get an order of the competent court that in the pendency of the matter before the Delhi High Court and a judicial order on merits, the admission process for the coming year(s) in College of Art to be carried out under the aegis of the University of Delhi."
In the month of April, the College of Art was informed to start its admission process and was told that it wouldn't be de-affiliated from the university. Although the Office of the Lieutenant Governor had earlier given in-principle approval to the merger of the College of Art with the Ambedkar University, subject to its de-affiliation from the DU, the Executive Council of the Delhi University, its highest decision-making body, refused to de-affiliate the college, as stated in a report by PTI.
In March last year, the Delhi government intimated that "the College of Art would be affiliated with Ambedkar University, as the college was facing various problems". As the CoA started its own admission process as a part of Ambedkar University, 11 DU teachers wrote to the Vice-Chancellor seeking his intervention.
The letter by the 11 teachers, including members of the DU's Executive Council and Academic Council, stated that such an "unfortunate action" of the Ambedkar University is in contravention of the statutes of the Delhi University.
