Many Delhi University students who opted for Tamil and Telugu as their non-major subjects in BA programs last year are reapplying for the Common University Entrance Test-UG (CUET-UG), fearing fear that they will fail the language test because of it being “advanced”. Syllabus.
Students have been given the option to study different languages as per the New Education Policy (NEP).
First-year students, the first batch to be admitted to the university through CUET, said they were under the impression that they would be taught the basics of languages, but their syllabus is of an advanced level.
The university said in its reply to the students that they should have seen the syllabus first, “We can’t do anything because they have chosen the combination.” Students opting for BA program (Pol Science+Tamil) and (Pol Science+Telugu) at Sri Venkateswara College have asked the authorities several times to change their subjects to Hindi or Sanskrit, the demand has been rejected by the university .
Depressed students are worried that they will fail in the semester and hence, have registered for the entrance exam for 2023-24.
Earlier the eligibility criteria for taking up a language as a minor subject required that the students had studied the language till class VIII. However, this rule was dropped after the matter was raised by the students.
“When we were choosing our preferences, we did not know about the eligibility criteria. No one even hinted. Even the colleges that confirmed our applications did not see that we had no knowledge of the language,” said Shivam Kumar, a first-year Pol Science student from Bihar, who opted for Telugu.
“We came to know about the eligibility criteria after taking admission. We then went to the Dean of Admissions, Haneet Gandhi, who assured us that the rule would be removed.
However, as per the document released in November 2022, the university did not make any changes in the criteria.
Kumar reapplied for CUET on Sunday.
Many students have applied for CUET. Our future is at stake. We don’t even know the alphabets of the language and how can we give the exam. We’re going to fail… all of us. We requested them (officials) to change our subjects but they did not listen. There are 10 students like me in the college. I have no other option so I have applied for the entrance exam again.
A professor in the Department of Modern Indian Languages said the issue is not limited to Telugu and Tamil languages, claiming that students who have taken other regional languages like Bengali, Oriya and Sindhi also face the same problem. are doing.
“The students do not know the alphabet or the language and are being taught literature and at an advanced level,” he said on condition of anonymity.
He held the university responsible for this “fiasco” as the future of many students is at risk.
There are many languages whose teachers are not available. Can you believe, there is not a single teacher in the university for Malayalam or Sindhi or Kannada? There is only one teacher for Gujarati. How are students supposed to learn a new language within a semester?” he said.
A student who opted for BA program (Pol Science+Tamil) in Miranda said she is the only student in the college with this combination and was appointed as a teacher only last week.
“I don’t know how I will clear the exam. It’s disappointing. I am going to fail,” said Palak (17).
DU professor and former executive council member Rajesh Jha said the university should keep the interest of the concerned students paramount.
”The interest of the students concerned is paramount and no injustice should be done to them. Due to the lapse of the university administration in this matter, the genuine students of Tamil language were deprived. Rather than teaching the basics first. He wants to teach them literature. How is this possible?,” he asked.
“The way CUET has been put in place and the admission process in DU has been centralized – are responsible for such problems,” Jha said.
Speaking to PTI, Dean of Admissions Haneet Gandhi said that the eligibility criteria for study of languages have been removed.
“We can’t do anything now. We cannot change their subject. They should have checked the syllabus before selecting the languages,” she said.
Asked whether the university would take any action to ensure that such incidents do not recur in future, Gandhi said, “We will conduct awareness campaigns but the eligibility criteria will not be changed.”
read all latest education news Here
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)