DU fourth-year students still wait for 400-mark research evaluation rules as semester 7 ends
By TUF News Desk · Published 7 November 2026 · 3 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Seventh semester is almost over for Delhi University fourth-year undergraduates, and they still do not know how their research work will be marked. The university raised the credits for the dissertation, academic project and entrepreneurship track from six to 10 per semester in July, taking the marks from 240 to 400. Four months on, the revised evaluation scheme for that heavier track has not arrived.
The Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) raised the gap in a letter to Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on November 6. The teachers’ body asked the university to issue updated guidelines for the seventh and eighth semester evaluation of undergraduate research on an urgent basis.
What changed in July
Delhi University’s notification of July 10, 2026, reworked the fourth year of its Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022. The four credits earlier assigned to Discipline Specific Core (DSC) courses in the seventh and eighth semesters moved to the research track. That took the dissertation, academic project and entrepreneurship track from six credits to 10 in each semester, or 20 credits across the fourth year.
Students now pick three elective courses in each semester, choosing from Discipline Specific Elective and Generic Elective options. The change applies from the 2026-27 academic session.
The fourth year is the final year of Delhi University’s four-year undergraduate programme. Students on the research track spend the year on a dissertation, an academic project or an entrepreneurship project instead of a full load of taught courses. Their work is assessed at the end of each semester, which is why the missing scheme matters now, with the seventh semester ending.
The problem is the marking scheme. The evaluation notifications issued for the seventh semester on September 30, 2025, and for the eighth semester on January 8, 2026, were written for the old six-credit structure and 240 marks. With the track now worth 400 marks a semester, teachers say they have no current scheme to grade against.
Why teachers are pressing now
In its letter, the DTF said students and teachers need the evaluation scheme in advance, because it shapes how the research work is planned and assessed. The letter said the delay showed the university was paying too little attention to teaching and learning, and warned that it was costing the university and its programmes popularity.
The July changes had already drawn objections from teachers. When the notification came out, the DTF and other teachers said the restructuring had gone through without approval from the Academic Council or the Executive Council. DTF secretary Abha Dev Habib questioned whether a change of this scale justified the use of emergency powers. Teachers also flagged the supervision load, with each teacher expected to guide up to 10 dissertation students alongside regular teaching.
What students should watch for
For now, fourth-year students are working on a research track worth 10 credits a semester without a published marking scheme. The DTF has asked the university to act before the seventh semester ends. Students can check the official Delhi University website for the revised guidelines when they appear.
Students comparing universities for a research-heavy degree can use our guide to choosing a university in India to weigh research opportunities across campuses.
Frequently asked questions
What has Delhi University not released yet?
The revised evaluation guidelines for the 10-credit research track in the seventh and eighth semesters of fourth-year undergraduate programmes.
How many marks does the fourth-year research track carry now?
400 marks per semester, up from 240 marks under the earlier six-credit structure.
When did Delhi University change the research credits?
In a notification dated July 10, 2026, effective from the 2026-27 academic session.
What should fourth-year students do while they wait?
Continue their dissertation, academic project or entrepreneurship work and watch the university website, du.ac.in, for the revised evaluation scheme.
Frequently asked questions
What has Delhi University not released yet?
The revised evaluation guidelines for the 10-credit research track in the seventh and eighth semesters of fourth-year undergraduate programmes.
How many marks does the fourth-year research track carry now?
400 marks per semester, up from 240 marks under the earlier six-credit structure.
When did Delhi University change the research credits?
In a notification dated July 10, 2026, effective from the 2026-27 academic session.
What should fourth-year students do while they wait?
Continue their dissertation, academic project or entrepreneurship work and watch the university website, du.ac.in, for the revised evaluation scheme.
Sources: Careers360, DU Beat, The Patriot