Joyee Bhattacharya, Author at DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

The University of Delhi has decided to challenge a Delhi High Court Order in the Supreme Court, which directed the University to grant monthly pension to over 300 teachers.

The decision to challenge the order was taken on Saturday, April 29^th, 2017 in a meeting called to discuss issues centered around general provident fund (GPF), monthly pension, cumulative provident fund (CPF) and lump sum money at retirement for teachers. Issues around the absorption of ad-hoc teachers as permanent faculty, promotions and problems of physical education teachers were also discussed during the meeting that lasted for around 10 hours, as per a council member, who attended the same.

According to a Council member, Rajesh Jha, the decision to challenge the order was taken despite strong dissent from the members present. “We also submitted a statement of concerns over pension issues signed by five council members during the meeting,” he added.

Nandita Narain, the president of Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) told the media about the huge legal expenses and around a decade long litigation period the employees had to struggle through in order to earn the bench division litigation. The HC order challenge has been dissented against by a large number of employees of the University, and are dissapointed by the “callous approach” of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), added the DUTA President.

A dharna was also organised by the DUTA members outside the Vice Regal Lodge, the venue for the meeting, for voicing their concerns around the issue.

Feature Image Credits: Flickr

Priyal Mahtta
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Students at Sharda University were denied their admit card for their examinations due to low attendance, this led to a campus wide protest of the students against the staff. Over the past week, Sharda University had disbarred around 100 students from appearing for the upcoming examinations on the provision that they had failed to fulfil the necessary criteria of 65% attendance. Under this provision, students with 50%-65% attendance will be able to appear for examinations if they sign an undertaking/bond promising that they would improve their attendance next semester. Hence, in the following semesters the necessary attendance becomes 75%.

On Saturday, around 150 students got into a fight with the security personnel while entering the campus. The university authorities called the police helpline for immediate assistance, but failed in lodging a complaint against the students. The students also say that the university had allegedly created a ‘student benefit fund’ clause to the undertaking due to which all erring students have to pay Rs.10,000-Rs.30,000. The welfare fund will receive this amount if the student fails to acquire the necessary attendance. The fund is meant to cultivate welfare within the students and the staff. Due to which, the students allege that the university management extorts them unwillingly.

Many students say that their low attendance was due to genuine problems, such as suffering from illnesses and attending to urgent and unavoidable family matters. They were also willing to show their medical prescriptions to the management, but the authorities did not agree. Even those who have 63% attendance are being asked to pay Rs.10,000 along with the undertaking. Following these events, the management said that students will be fined only if they fail to attain necessary attendance in the next semester. Late in the evening, the management decided to let erring students appear for the exams from Monday by making them sign an undertaking, without the deposit.

The issue of attendance has become a rising concern within all Universities, including the colleges in DU. Different colleges undertake different mechanisms for dealing with low attendance, due to which there is a lack of uniformity within the administration of all colleges. Some colleges are lenient with their attendance policies and do not create a fuss regarding low attendance, but certain colleges are very strict regarding their attendance policies, due to which their students are made to sign undertakings. These increasing cases of attendance mishaps across colleges and universities call for a necessary change in the system, it seems.

Photo Credits: Hindustan Times

Joyee Bhattacharya

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