New Delhi: On August 1, Delhi University (DU) launched its new academic session, marking a historic milestone by welcoming the first batch of fourth-year students under the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), a plan first conceptualised through the National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020. Designed to enhance flexibility, foster research skills, and align Indian higher education with global standards, the FYUP allows students to exit after three years with a bachelor’s degree or pursue an additional year for an honours degree with a research component. However, as DU navigates this ambitious transition, it faces significant hurdles, including inadequate infrastructure, faculty shortages, curriculum shortcomings, and widespread dissatisfaction among students and teachers. These challenges raise critical questions about the programme’s feasibility and its long-term impact on DU’s legacy as a premier public-funded institution.Significant opt-out rates signal uncertaintyAccording to DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh, of the approximately 66,000 third-year FYUP students, 30,014, roughly 45%, have opted out of the fourth year, choosing to graduate with a three-year degree. This high opt-out rate reflects deep uncertainty about the fourth year’s value, particularly for students preparing for competitive exams like CAT or DGAT or those planning to pursue master’s degrees. “Everything is sorted out now, and if there are any issues, we will resolve them gradually,” Singh told The Hindu, emphasising that the university has made arrangements for teaching and learning for both new entrants and fourth-year students. He added, “I want to assure our students that no one should be worried about anything.” However, conflicting reports from students and faculty suggest that the university’s assurances may be premature, as logistical and systemic challenges persist.This academic year, DU is offering 71,624 undergraduate seats across 79 programmes in 69 colleges. Several colleges conducted orientation programmes for fourth-year students on August 1, while others scheduled them for the following Monday. Faculty reported low attendance among fourth-year students during these sessions, though they remain hopeful for improved turnout. The lukewarm response underscores the confusion and skepticism surrounding the FYUP’s implementation, as students grapple with unclear expectations and limited resources.Infrastructure deficits and scheduling controversiesOne of the most pressing challenges is DU’s lack of infrastructure to support the extended programme. To accommodate the increased academic load, the university issued a notification advising colleges to extend operating hours from 8 am to 8 pm. The notice, approved by the Executive Council, stated, “The university has already advised the colleges/institutions to function from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for optimal utilisation of the available resources. In order to achieve this and to ensure availability of faculty and staff during the period, the deployment of faculty and staff will be staggered.”This directive has sparked significant backlash, with faculty members like Mithuraaj Dhusiya, a professor and Executive Council member, calling it “extremely problematic.” Dhusiya argued that the extended schedule poses “significant safety risks to students and teachers” and is “neither feasible nor practical,” reflecting DU’s lack of preparedness in terms of infrastructure and workforce.A political science master’s student, who requested anonymity, described the classroom experience as “suffocating.” At the Faculty of Social Sciences, nearly 200 students are crammed into a hall with only one entry and exit. “It feels less like a classroom and more like a crowded metro coach,” the student said, adding that with a 200:1 student-teacher ratio, individual learning is almost impossible. Associate Professor Abha Dev Habib from Miranda House elaborated on the infrastructure crisis, emphasising the need for substantial investment to support the FYUP’s research-intensive fourth year. “If Miranda House takes 1500 students every year, the university should be prepared to host at least two-thirds of them in the fourth year with additional rooms and research-extensive laboratories,” she said. Habib highlighted the absence of funding for such expansions, noting, “Ever since this government has come in, we have not got any money for any kind of expansion, whether it was EWS expansion, opening of new courses, or the fourth year.”The lack of resources is particularly acute in science disciplines, where postgraduate students have raised concerns about outdated lab facilities. A Physics Honours fresher remarked, “The lab instruments are really old, rusty, and not research-friendly. DU needs serious upgrades before taking on the added responsibility of four-year undergraduates.”Curricula and practical learningStudents have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the FYUP’s curriculum, particularly its heavy reliance on theoretical instruction over practical application. Bharat Vashisht, a third-year BSc Physical Science with Chemistry student from Kirori Mal College, criticised the Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC) and Value-Added Courses (VAC) for their lack of real-world relevance. “Subjects like communication, personality development, leadership, and negotiation skills are taught theoretically without practical application,” he said. Vashisht also pointed out inconsistencies in course evaluation, noting that some papers lack examinations, allowing teachers to assign marks directly. “This leads to students focusing on passing rather than learning,” he added, questioning the programme’s effectiveness. “The idea of NEP is good, but the implementation is not there yet. The number of subjects has increased, but the teaching quality varies.”Shreya Sharma (name changed), a Chemistry Honours student from Miranda House, cites FYUP’s limited value for research-oriented students. “The fourth year mainly involves submitting a theoretical dissertation and does not provide meaningful research experience,” she said. Sharma believes that a master’s degree would better prepare students for Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) or PhD programmes, as the fourth year’s research component is hindered by delayed timetables, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of time for research classes. Similarly, Sana (name changed), a B.Com Honours student from Daulat Ram College, said her decision to pursue the fourth year depends on her CAT score. “If I get into an MBA college, I won’t opt for it,” she said, noting that seniors and teachers have shared mixed feedback about the programme’s benefits.Sonal Gupta, a Political Science student at Daulat Ram College, chose to opt for the fourth year. For her, the value lies in opportunity. “If I take economics as an optional subject for seven semesters, I not only graduate with Political Science but also earn a minor degree in Economics,” she explained. “That gives me the flexibility to pursue a master’s or even a PhD in Economics later.” Premises of the St Stephen’s College, in New Delhi, Tuesday, July, 15, 2025. Photo: PTI.Faculty overburdenedThe FYUP’s research-intensive fourth year places significant demands on faculty, who are already stretched thin by teaching and administrative responsibilities. Anumeha Mishra, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law, described the challenge of supervising student research. “Supervising even one student is a humongous task. Imagine a teacher expected to supervise 10 students or more,” she said, referring to a recent proposal that could allocate up to 10 students per teacher, with the potential to exceed this limit if necessary. Mishra warned that this additional burden, combined with teaching and administrative duties, compromises both the quality of education and faculty members’ own research output, which is critical for career advancement. “If a teacher is unable to devote time to the student, the student’s learning capacity also gets compromised,” she said. “Teachers are human beings, and the quality of teaching automatically comes down when they are overburdened.”Mishra emphasised that the pressure to “tick all the boxes” often overshadows the need for meaningful content delivery. “You might be able to say this is very good, but it’s the quality and content that matters,” she said. “If you are not delivering that quality, then the level of education comes down.” This sentiment is echoed by Habib, who criticised the lack of transparency in course design. “The Delhi University Act says that the admission of a student is through a course, with a clear trajectory of papers, syllabi, and examination schemes. But that is not what has happened for the past 3-4 batches,” she said, calling the 2022 batch a “guinea-pig batch” caught in the transition from a three-year to a four-year structure.Privatisation fears and systemic shiftsThe FYUP’s challenges have fuelled broader concerns about the future of public-funded higher education in India. Habib warned that the lack of investment in universities like DU and reduced education quality could drive students toward private institutions. “The elite of India will move out of public-funded universities,” she said, noting that institutions like DU, JNU, Jamia, and Aligarh Muslim University have historically shaped the country’s knowledge system and produced professionals across fields, from lawyers and judges to IAS officers. The delayed admission process, exacerbated by the Common University Entrance Test (CUET), has left seats vacant at DU, as students opt for private universities with faster admissions. “People have already taken admission in private universities,” Habib said. “Many have not even applied to DU because of the delayed admission process.”Habib also criticised systemic changes brought by NEP, including the rewriting of textbooks and the removal of concepts like secularism and scientific temperament from educational materials, such as the NCERT preamble. “This is a political action,” she said, arguing that it undermines the ethos of equality and dignity in education. The lack of funding for structural changes, such as the FYUP or the earlier Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) expansion, has shifted costs to students, raising fears of creeping privatisation. “Without any grants, this structural change has been brought, and the expense has been shifted to the student,” Habib said.DU’s fees have seen steep hikes, with the University Development Fund rising from Rs 900 in 2022 to Rs 1,500 in 2025 and HIDA charges jumping from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500. While DU justifies this as necessary for infrastructure and facilities, students say conditions remain unchanged with overcrowded classrooms, poor WiFi, and alarming teacher-student ratios. Critics warn such hikes shift the financial burden onto students, threatening DU’s promise of affordable, accessible public education.Ronak Khatri, President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), offered a scathing critique of the FYUP, calling it a “New Entertainment Policy” rather than an education policy. He questioned the competency of teachers in delivering specialised courses, citing examples like yoga, alleging that instructors often lack proper training. “Teachers do not know what to teach in Skill Enhancement Courses and Value-Added Courses,” Khatri said, highlighting the disorganized workflow of NEP’s implementation.As Delhi University navigates the FYUP’s inaugural fourth year, the programme’s vision of fostering research and flexibility is overshadowed by practical challenges. With nearly half of eligible students opting out, inadequate infrastructure, overburdened faculty, and curricula criticised for theoretical tilts, the FYUP’s success depends on addressing these systemic issues.