Smriti washes hands off DU course

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Zubin Irani on Wednesday made it clear that she would not pressurise the “autonomous” Delhi University to roll back its controversial four-year undergraduate programme which was launched last year.

“Time-and-again, I have re-iterated this issue that the DU is an autonomous institution, hence for me to transgress into their territory would not be advisable,” she told reporters.

Irani’s statement comes at a time when teachers and students of Delhi University, with different political hues, have escalated their protest against the contentious programme, demanding its immediate role back.

“I have taken a note of their plight and the challenges that the teachers and the students are facing,” Irani said, maintaining that the elected representatives of Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) and Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) had brought the issue to her notice.

She, however, did not make any suggestion on what could be done to bring relief to the “plight” of the varsity teachers and students, even as hopes were high from her.