Delhi University has formally announced that it is switching over to the semester system from the next academic year albeit for selected courses, but sources close to the university authorities say that it will not be possible for Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental to implement the new system unless he get it approved from the Academic Council (AC).

AC is the higest decision making body in the university to decide on the academic matters. It is headed by the VC who has the power to take any decision on behalf of the university but approval from the AC is a must.

The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) has been opposing the move and the elected representative of teachers in the Academic Council rejected the proposal in all its meetings last year and called it an undemocratic step by the VC.

Meanwhile, Pental has called up an emergency AC meeting on May 13 for which the agenda is to consider the syllabus of semester based courses. J Kuntiah, a member of Academic Council, says, "The syllabus of only few Science departments have been sent. But we have serious reservations on how this syllabus is being send for consideration when it has not even been passed."

To all this Pental has maintained that the authority has made several attempts to discuss and deliberate upon the system but some self-appointed guardians of the university among the teachers have always disrupted such meetings.