The National Testing Agency conducted CUET for the first time this year. There were a lot of criticisms endowed upon CUET such as last-minute changes in exam centres, postponement and mass cancellation of exams. Also, the delayed schedules have put the candidates in a tight spot.
Over this year, the admission process and teaching at universities and colleges in Delhi underwent a radical overhaul change. This was mainly due to the introduction of a common entrance test. Also, the adoption of the new national education policy was a catalyst for this change.
Universities either partially or wholly adopted the Common University Entrance Test by relinquishing the previous admitting procedures from the 2022-23 academic session. Delhi University (DU) used to admit students based on their scores in Class 12.
However, Universities such as the Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia used to have separate entrance tests to admit students into undergraduate courses. The second largest entrance test in the country is CUET.
Introduction of Common University Entrance Test
The National Testing Agency conducted CUET for the first time this year. There were a lot of criticisms endowed upon CUET such as last-minute changes in exam centres, postponement and mass cancellation of exams. Also, the delayed schedules have put the candidates in a tight spot.
Through the new admission process, Delhi University admitted students across 67 of its colleges, departments and centres in 79 undergraduate programmes. It also launched an online platform, in September, for those who have been seeking admission through the common seat allocation system.
JNU conducted admissions to 10 undergraduate courses through the Common University Entrance Test. The majority of the students were admitted to its bachelor of arts (honours) courses in foreign languages.
Some varieties like JMI adopted the CUET process partially. Students were admitted to 10 courses through the common test. For admission to other programs, the students were inducted through an exam conducted by the varsity.
The 10 courses in which students were admitted through CUET include:
Bachelor of arts with honours
- Turkish Language and Literature
- Sanskrit
- French and Francophone Studies
- Spanish and Latin American Studies
- History
- Hindi
- Economics
Bachelor of Science
- Biotechnology
- Physics
Bachelor of vocation
- Solar energy
Universities implemented the National Education Policy-2020 from this academic session. This Policy proposes to reform schools as well as higher education. It also includes technical education. NEP 2020 emphasizes promoting multilingualism and Indian languages. It also provides a holistic and multidisciplinary education that offers multiple entry and exit options.
NEP 2020 comes as a replacement for the 1986 National Policy on Education which aims to universalize education from the preschool to the secondary level. It also aimed to reach a gross enrolment ratio of 100 per cent by 2030. The target was also to raise to 50 per cent by 2025 the ratio in higher education.
The first central university to adopt the four-year undergraduate curriculum was Delhi University as prescribed by the NEP-2020. The policy has also been implemented by JMI and JNU. The calls for reopening universities grew louder during the beginning of the year due to the improvement in the Covid situation across the country.
Protests were held in Delhi by the student bodies. They demanded major universities move from online mode to offline teaching. The standard of education had gone down as campuses had been closed for almost two years and as teaching was online.
Moreover, the students who hailed from lower-income groups and rural areas were not having the means to access devices for virtual learning. DU, JNU and JMI, in February, were among the universities that started classes in the physical mode for both the UG and PG courses.
New Vice Chancellor
The academic calendar in varsities was also delayed by the CUET along with the pandemic. Such situations drew a lot of criticism. The first women vice chancellor was appointed in the JNU who was a political science professor and an alumna of the university.
She had completed her M.Phil from JNU as well as her Ph.D. in international relations. She started her teaching career at Goa University in 1988 and later moved to Pune University in 1993. In Various academic bodies, she had held administrative positions.
She had also earlier been a member of the Indian Council of Social Science Research and University Grants Commission. She was also a visitor’s nominee to central universities.
Student Clashes
In April, there were clashes between the students. Moreover, in December, the walls of one of its buildings were defaced with anti-Brahmin slogans.
In April, after the JNU Students’ Union alleged that members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had stopped residents from eating non-vegetarian food clashes broke out at one of its hostels. It was also accused that the ABVP had assaulted the mess secretary of the Kaveri Hostel.
However, ABVP denied the charges. It had claimed that “Leftists” obstructed a puja program that was organised at the hostel on Ram Navami. It was an accusation from both sides that they had pelted stones at each other and injured their members. Several walls of a JNU building, in December, had “anti-Brahmin” slogans written on them. These photos were widely shared on social media.
DU and its Constituent Colleges
There was also a tussle between Delhi University and its constituent St Stephen\’s college over its process of interviews for admissions. The College refused to discard the interview process. However, Delhi University was firm on its decision to declare all admissions made by the college null and void which was in violation of the CUET guidelines. Letters were exchanged between the college and the university.
St Stephen’s had claimed that it will accord 85 per cent weightage to the CUET score. The other 15 per cent will be accorded to physical interviews for candidates of all categories. The matter was taken to the Delhi High Court in September.
The Delhi High Court ordered St Stephen’s College to follow the admission policy that was adopted by the university. The appeal then went to the Supreme Court which refused to stay on the high court’s order. Thus, the tussle was brought to an end. Ad-hoc teachers had also demanded to be absorbed through one-time regulation this year.
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