New Delhi, Delhi University’s Executive Council, in its meeting on Wednesday, took cognisance of alleged violation of faculty recruitment shortlisting norms by St. Stephen’s College and constituted a committee to probe the matter, officials said.
The council also approved several recommendations, including restructuring of BA programme combinations across colleges for the 2026-27 academic session, and introduction of SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) and MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) courses.
“The Executive Council has taken serious cognisance of the violation of shortlisting criteria by St. Stephen’s College during the direct recruitment of assistant professors across various disciplines,” officials said.
They said the Executive Council has decided to restrain the college from issuing appointment orders to recommended candidates and to issue an advisory in this regard, as the shortlisting criteria adopted by the college are not in conformity with university statutes and are flawed.
Consequently, it has constituted a committee to look into the matter.
Delhi University has also constituted a committee to examine the proposal for launching the “Semester Away Programme (SAP)” in collaboration with a foreign higher education institution.
“This committee, chaired by Delhi University Dean Prof Balram Pani, will submit its report after holding consultations with relevant stakeholders in this regard,” the university said in a statement.
Under the SAP, students enrolled with the university may complete one semester of their academic programme at a foreign higher education institution.
In a move to re-evaluate vacant seats in certain programmes, the Executive Council has approved recommendations of the committee constituted to examine the realignment of BA programmes and their combinations across various colleges for the academic session 2026-27.
“The committee has recommended that colleges should evaluate the various subjects they offer as part of their BA programmes. Combinations that have received low preference ratings, or where seats have remained vacant, may be reconsidered,” according to the recommendations.
Colleges may also consider grouping certain subjects together under a single BA programme combination. They will not, nevertheless, be allowed to alter the total approved intake capacity for any programme.
“However, a college may introduce additional seats within an existing programme if adequate faculty members and infrastructural facilities are available to meet those additional requirements. No new programmes shall be introduced, nor shall any existing programmes be discontinued,” the recommendations read.
In another key decision, the Executive Council approved the construction of a new building for the Institute of Nano Medical Sciences at Maurice Nagar at a cost of Rs 174.20 crore. The detailed project report will be prepared by the Central Public Works Department.
The council also cleared the establishment of a Centre for Advanced Studies in Buddhist Studies, with administrative approval for the first phase already granted under the “Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram” scheme.
The Executive Council further approved a proposal to allow students to earn up to 5 per cent of their total academic credits through online courses offered on SWAYAM and other approved MOOC platforms. Under the scheme, students in four-year undergraduate programmes can earn up to 8 credits, while those in two-year postgraduate courses can earn up to 4 credits.
“It is pertinent to note that the UGC (Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through SWAYAM) Regulations, 2016, had originally permitted students to earn up to 20 per cent of their credits through online learning courses provided by the Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM),” the Executive Council noted.
While the framework was subsequently adopted by the University’s Academic Council and Executive Council in 2019, a suggestion by the Academic Council in a 2025 meeting to examine the matter further led to the formation of a committee.
“Consequently, a committee was constituted in this regard, based on whose recommendations this initiative has been implemented,” the university statement said.
Some Executive Council members submitted a dissent note on the introduction of SWAYAM and MOOC courses.
“These regulations in the name of ‘choice’ and ‘flexibility’ take away the important role of teachers and universities,” the dissent note read.
