NOIDA: More than 150 students of Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI) on Thursday staged a demonstration at the Sector 24 campus after learning that University Grants Commission (UGC) has termed the degree awarded by the institute invalid.
The students blocked the institute for several hours by parking their cars outside the main gate and shouted slogans demanding clarity on the validity of their degrees.
The FDDI, which was established by the ministry of commerce and industry, offered a diploma in fashion, design, retail, etc till 2009. Later in 2010, the FDDI had a tie-up with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for grant of degrees. The alliance was snapped in 2012 due to technical reasons.
Subsequently, the FDDI signed another MoU with Mewar University in Rajasthan and continued to admit students in subsequent years for the degree courses.
UGC in September 2014 termed the degree invalid citing that no private university can offer a degree certificate on behalf of an institute. The decision directly affected 4,000 students of 12 campuses across India.
"Officials are not giving any clear answers on the issue. The students from three batches are left in the lurch due to the confusion. Why should we suffer for someone else's fault," said Amandeep, FDDI student of the 2011 academic session.
The students even filed an RTI with the commerce ministry, which had confirmed that the degree awarded by Mewar University was recognized.
"The FDDI prospectus had mentioned a tie up with Mewar University in Rajasthan for awarding degrees. Now, they have dropped the collaboration from the new prospectus. How will we pursue higher education or research if we do not get a degree ," said a student, requesting anonymity.
Aarti Sabharwal, FDDI manager (admissions), said the officials were discussing the issue with the ministry of commerce and ministry of human resources development. "We will soon sort out the issue," she said.
TOI 21-8-15
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