Delhi University on Tuesday witnessed high drama over the reported resignation by its vice chancellor Dinesh Singh even as the UGC said that of the 64 colleges, 57 have agreed to "comply" with its directive to admit students only to the three-year undergraduate course.
However, the colleges sought a "clear directive" on the issue.
The drama unfolded after joint dean of students' welfare and media coordinator Malay Neerav announced that Dinesh Singh resigned in the wake of a blazing row with the University Grants Commission (UGC) over the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP).
But hours later, Sangit Ragi, deputy dean for academics, denied that Dinesh Singh had quit.
"We have persuaded him not to resign," he said after meeting the vice chancellor at his residence.
Even as confusion prevailed over the reported resignation, the UGC issued a statement to the media that "out of the 64 colleges, as many as 57 colleges have sent their replies to the UGC informing that they are complying with the directives of the UGC".
A total of 2.7 lakh students have applied for the 54,000 available seats in the DU colleges.
Earlier on Tuesday, the announcement of Dinesh Singh's resignation sparked wild celebrations by students bitterly opposed to the FYUP and angry reactions from those who supported the vice chancellor.
Teachers sympathetic to Dinesh Singh, whose pet project FYUP came into being last year, said he quit after the UGC threatened to freeze the university's funds over the programme and Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani refused to intervene.
By Tuesday evening, Dinesh Singh's lawyer Suraj Singh told the media that he had not quit and was still the vice chancellor.
Earlier, the news of Dinesh Singh's quitting was followed by the resignations of DU's three top officials, including pro vice chancellor Sudhish Pachauri.
The standoff between DU and the UGC over scrapping the FYUP has left 2.7 lakh applicants in the lurch.
