The Delhi University teachers’ union, led by the BJP-backed National Democratic Teachers’ Front, has opposed the University Grants Commission’s diktat to award honours degrees only after four years of undergraduation.

The DU Teachers’ Association (DUTA) on Thursday also alleged that the UGC and the DU administration were working in tandem to evade recruiting additional teachers.

More teachers will be needed to address the increase in the number of students due to the implementation of reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections and the provision for an additional fourth year in undergraduate courses.

DU had adopted a four-year undergraduate programme under which students had the option of exiting with an honours degree after three years.

However, on December 12, the UGC circulated to universities a curriculum and credit framework document for undergraduate programmes where it allowed the award of honours degrees only on completion of four years.

This has created confusion over whether DU can still award honours degrees after three years.

The teachers’ union also opposed DU’s decision to increase the size of classes, tutorials and lab sessions, and raise working hours of teachers.

According to a notification issued by DU, the number of students to be accommodated in an undergraduate class will be 60, up from 40.

A tutorial class will have 30 students, which now has 8 to 10 students in honours courses and 12 to 15 students in pass courses.