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The alliance formed by the teachers’ associations aims at “reclaiming the DUTA from the cronies of the ruling dispensation and defend public higher education.”

10 Delhi University teachers’ organisations and 4 independent teachers have come together to form the Democratic United Teachers’ Alliance (D.U.T.A) to contest the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) 2023 polls. Ahead of the elections, which will witness over 10,000 academics of the University casting their votes to elect the leadership, the alliance has announced Dr. Aditya Narayan Misra as the joint candidate for the post of DUTA president. The teachers’ organisations have joined forces to challenge the BJP-RSS affiliated National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) in the upcoming DUTA elections scheduled for September 27. The DUTA elections are expected to witness a tough contest between the D.U.T.A and the NDTF, which emerged victorious in 2021 after a 24-year hiatus. AK Bhagi was elected as the DUTA President, defeating his nearest contender, Abha Dev Habib by a margin of 1382 votes.

The Democratic United Teachers Alliance, formed with the aim of “defending public education by reclaiming DUTA”,  is a coalition of multiple groups including Congress’s Indian National Teachers’ Congress (INTEC), AAP’s Academic for Action and Development Teachers Association (AADTA), the Left-leaning Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), and various independent teachers’ associations such as the Common Teachers’ Front (CTF), Delhi Teachers’ Initiative (DTI), Independent Teachers’ Front for Social Justice (ITF-SJ), and Samajwadi Shikshank Manch (SSM) and the Voice of DU Adhocs.

There is an immediate and serious need to reclaim the DUTA as a teachers’ collective that works in defence of public-funded education and rights of teachers and students in the forthcoming DUTA elections,” – the joint statement by D.U.T.A read.

At a press conference on August 25, held at the Press Club of India, Prof. Nandita Narain, former DUTA President said that the current NDTF leadership had turned the union office into a “department of the administration which slaughtered thousands of good teachers in the ongoing recruitment drive.” While the teachers’ movement in the country looked for guidance and inspiration from DUTA to reclaim the rights of the teachers, the alliance alleged that the DUTA leadership failed thousands of ad-hoc teachers in their quest for permanent jobs after decades of service.

We are here together to safeguard the dignity and security of all teachers. We are here to defend full public funding and build public opinion against the privatisation and other sinister designs of NEP, 2020. We are committed to absorption of all existing ad hoc and temporary teachers and reinstatement of those who have been displaced during the last two years, while protecting the services of those who have already secured permanent appointment.” – read a statement by the teachers’ alliance.

 The Academic Council of Delhi University, in its meeting held on 11.8.2023, reported a letter from the UGC granting approval to DU as a Category 1 – University under the Graded Autonomy Regulation. By permitting the University to function on a self-financing basis, the D.U.T.A alleges that the regulation would pave the way for commercialisation and deprive the University of necessary Government grants for teaching-learning and infrastructure.

Salaries, promotion, and pension will all have to be taken care of through self-financing. No expectations of funds can be kept from either the University Grants Commission or the Government. Will teachers be displaced? Are we handing over the entire University in private hands? Will the character of the University remain what it is?”- commented Prof Narain in the press conference on Friday.

 Prof. Narain, Convener of the Democratic United Teachers’ Alliance, stated that the policy-driven decline in the academic quality of public universities is best demonstrated by the new version of the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), which carries a plethora of anti-academic moves to undermine the integrity of various disciplines.

 The DUTA leadership has refrained from raising their voices about the degradation of academic quality due to the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. A number of academically vacuous courses have been introduced in the name of most Value Added Courses and Skill Enhancement Courses, which add neither to values nor skills, and leave students too exhausted to focus on the core academic disciplines. On the other hand, internal assessment has been increased from 25 to 45%, with a new component of continuous assessment. This, given the massive reduction in teaching-tutorial-practical time, is an academic fraud. None of these changes were brought after consultation with teachers.” – mentioned the statement released on August 25.

 The statement by D.U.T.A highlights the concern that self-financing by institutions will be undertaken by loans, which will be repaid through increasing student fees for “commercially viable courses” and discarding “uneconomic” ones.

Massive fee hikes will follow, exacerbating the exclusionary tendencies that have been already initiated by the CUET process. Even if the constitutionally mandated provision of reservation is retained (though it finds no mention in the NEP document), students belonging to deprived sections will be excluded through the back door of high fees.” – added the statement.

 Claiming this as “the death of higher education, DUTA joint candidate Dr. Aditya Narayan Misra, of the AAP-affiliated Academic for Action and Development Delhi Teachers’ Association (AADTA), urged teachers to join hands and fight for the withdrawal of the National Education Policy,2020.

Despite our dissent, the fees for certain courses under the Law Faculty were approved at nearly Rs.12.5 lakhs, the same courses which were being taught at a fee of Rs 5000-7000. How is this “greater autonomy?”. This should not simply be a reporting item that is brought and told to us. The students’ future depends on it, and the teachers’ future depends on it- why are such decisions being imposed without due discussion? The DUTA has failed us. It is being used as an extension to privatise and commercialise higher education.” – remarked Misra, a three-time president of DUTA.

 Clause 19.2 on Graded Autonomy in the NEP 2020, which envisages that all public colleges and universities will become “independent, self-governing institutions” for the governance of which “a Board of Governors (BoG) shall be established consisting of a group of highly qualified, competent and dedicated individuals”, has also been opposed by the alliance. They fear that the BoGs will govern institutions without external interference and make decisions concerning the “incentive structure” unilaterally without reference to UGC regulations.

The Board of Governors will have the complete autonomy to establish new courses and curriculum and hire and fire as per will, with recruitment of contractual teachers and foreign faculty being given more importance. Post independence, we established institutions like the D-School, the IITs, the IIMs, and the English, Commerce and Sociology Departments – but we were always self-sufficient in devisiong and teaching our own curriculum. Why do we need foreign faculty now? They will display the foreign teachers for 4 months and use it as a tactic to raise fees. We are witnessing the biggest privatisation deal of India.” – said Misra, who has been teaching Political Science at DU since 1986.

Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) Secretary, Abha Dev Habib, remarked that the reluctance of the DU administration to form the governing bodies of colleges administered by the Delhi Government will formalise the dependence of public higher educational institutions on private corporates.

 DU authorities have packed the Academic Council (AC) subcommittee for academic affairs with NDTF members whose only role is to subvert statutory powers of Committees of Courses (CoCs), Departments and Faculties, and impose unacademic changes in syllabi in keeping with their agenda of saffronisation. The DTF teachers of DU have decided that public higher education cannot be redeemed if the current leadership is successful in its aim of converting the teachers’ collective into a patronage dispensing tool to further NEP through undemocratic demobilisation.” – remarked Habib.

Alleging that NDTF-led DUTA remained silent during the mass displacement of ad hoc teachers in the University, the alliance asserted that the teachers’ union’s claims that displaced teachers are being absorbed elsewhere are not supported by transparent data.

What is most reprehensible is that instead of taking up the cause of all teachers, the leadership has been selective and discriminate. It is the first time in the history of DUTA that a large number of teachers are afraid of displeasing their own elected representatives,” the statement added.

 The alliance claimed that the outgoing (present) DUTA committee has been hand-in- glove in furthering anti-academic and anti-teacher moves. It has also undermined the functioning of wider trade unions of teachers such as FEDCUTA that are fighting against privatisation and for the restoration of the old pension scheme.

 The D.U.T.A. is committed to ensuring absorption of all existing ad hoc and temporary teachers, reinstatement of those displaced in open positions, and protection of services of all permanent teachers, with counting of past services at all levels of promotion and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, and also for the protection of service conditions of Librarians and teachers of Physical Education. It will launch an effective struggle to strengthen public-funded education by demanding a rollback of NEP2020, Graded Autonomy and all such attempts to privatise our public universities.” – the statement by D.U.T.A concluded.

Prof. Abha Dev Habib said that this unprecedented unity of different groups comes in the light of the “gravest challenges confronting the teachers, students and non-teaching employees of DU”.

There has been mass displacement of serving temporary and ad hoc teachers with the active connivance of the NDTF leadership and especially in institutions helmed by those who are part of the ruling dispensation. The institutional murder of Samarveer was possibly the abysmal low to which the state of affairs in DU have descended.”, Habib, a Professor of Physics at Miranda House, commented.

 The statement by the alliance claimed that 80% of serving ad hoc teachers have been displaced in the interviews held recently, most of them in colleges headed by the Principals close to the ruling dispensation.

 I have been part of Delhi University all my life. I have been an ad-hoc teacher and was thrown out so I understand how it feels. I can connect to the pain of the people who have been ousted. Regularisation of ad-hoc teachers would be one of our main agendas.” – mentioned Misra, a professor at Dyal Singh College.

 On Friday, Delhi Finance Minister Atishi expressed displeasure over the non-release of Rs.100 crore to Delhi Government’s 12 fully-funded DU colleges after a representation was submitted by Dr.Aditya Narain Misra and DU Executive Council (EC) members Seema Das and Rajpal Singh appraising her of the delay.

 On 28th June 2023, I approved the release of Rs 100 crore as the second quarterly grant was announced. But this fund has not reached colleges yet despite one and a half months having lapsed. The faculty and the ministerial staff of these colleges cannot suffer due to administrative technicalities and the finance department should have a facilitatory approach over these financial issues. Hence, the funds should be released without any further delay.”- Atishi said in an official statement.

 

 D.U.T.A Press Conference held on August 25 – D.U.T.A. Press Conference, Save Public Funded Education

 Featured Image Credits: India Today

 Read also: After a Three-Year Hiatus, Delhi University Students’ Union Elections Are Back – DU Beat – Delhi University’s Independent Student Newspaper

 

Manvi Goel

[email protected]

On Monday, May 1, the Indian National Teachers’ Congress (INTEC) condemned the displacement of ad hoc teachers of Delhi University. Additionally, it demanded that there be no further displacements. In colleges of the University, where officiating principals are present, the forum demanded that selection interviews be undertaken immediately.

According to sources, around 75% of Ad Hoc faculty were left jobless despite having worked in colleges of the University for decades. In a statement issued by INTEC, chairman Pankaj Garg reportedly spoke about the lack of transparency in interviews for permanent positions at the University.

From the very beginning, the teacher selection process in various constituent colleges had become a mockery. Interviews were taken for two to three minutes and selections were made, which reflected nepotism and favouritism.

-Dr. Pankaj Garg, chairman of INTEC

Teachers who have already been displaced have claimed that the recruitment procedure and University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines prioritise the interview over teaching experience or prior research.

“When a long-serving ad hoc teacher, after displacement, goes to another college for interviews, they are humiliated by asking the reason behind them not being selected in the college they were working in. Ad hoc teachers working in colleges where officiating principals are present are feeling insecure as there has been no initiative of conducting interviews in their colleges so far.” Garg, also a mathematics teacher at Rajdhani College, DU.

The forum also asked for the posting of advertising of job openings for teachers in the 12 DU colleges that receive funding from the Delhi government. These include Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, and Maharaja Agrasen College among others.

 

“The executive council had said that the interview process in colleges where officiating principals are present should also begin. It is under process and scrutiny of applications is on. As for the 12 colleges that are funded by the Delhi government, we are awaiting the list of members for the governing body and hence, we have not been able to begin the process in those colleges.”

 Prof.Yogesh Singh, Vice-Chancellor of DU.

The unfortunate reported suicide of the late Mr. Samarveer Singh has brought back attention to the ad hoc displacement crisis, which started in September 2022. Mr. Singh was fired, after more than five years of service as an assistant professor of philosophy at Hindu College, amidst the ongoing interview process for permanent positions. Teachers and students have expressed their outrage at the situation and continue to demand justice.

Read also: DU Teachers Stage Protest for Absorption of Ad-Hoc Teachers – DU Beat – Delhi University’s Independent Student Newspaper

 

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

 

Manvi Goel

[email protected]

The Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) has offered a one-time relief to allow all ad-hoc teachers of the University of Delhi (DU) to appear for interviews for permanent positions.

The MHRD has ended an impasse and finally offered relief to the ad-hoc teachers of DU, allowing them to appear for interviews for permanent positions. The government on Friday, 20th December, also directed DU to let the ad hoc teachers continue in their positions until the permanent positions are filled. After a meeting between Professor Yogesh Tyagi, the vice-chancellor of DU and the MHRD along with University Grant Commission’s (UGC) officials, the university wrote to the principals and directors of colleges and institutions of the university that the vacancies will be filled in a time-bound manner and ad hoc and guest faculty will continue as an interim measure.

This decision was taken after the teachers of the university rose in an indefinite strike, called by the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) on 4th December 2019. They called for this strike in support of their demand to withdraw the 28th August circular mandating appointment of guest faculty over ad-hoc teachers against substantive vacancies arising for the first time in the academic session. The teachers were urged to stay away from all official duties, including invigilation and evaluation of the university’s end-semester examinations. DUTA officials also met with principals of colleges who have kept renewal of ad-hoc teachers’ tenure in abeyance and have not released salaries.

Amit Khare, Secretary, higher education, MHRD, said, “After the meeting of the UGC on Thursday, 19th December, it was decided that as a one-time relief, all the ad-hoc teachers will be eligible for appearing in the interviews for fulfilment of permanent positions in University of Delhi. Moreover, the working ad-hoc teachers will continue in their positions till the time the permanent positions are filled.”

The letter issued by the university to its colleges stated that the colleges and institutions would have to fill the permanent vacancies in a “time-bound manner” and that in the interim time taken to fill out these positions, ad-hoc/temporary/guest faculty can be appointed.

Rajib Ray, the president of DUTA, said, “We welcome the decision. We want further concessions so that the ad-hoc teachers are absorbed in the permanent positions soon.”

However, the DUTA continues their indefinite strike for further demands of absorption on the basis of DoPT (Department of Personnel and Training) roster and promotion with counting of Ad-hoc experience.

Feature Image Credits: India TV

Shreya Juyal

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At least 500 ad-hoc teachers of the Delhi University plan go on an indefinite hunger strike from Friday, January 4, to demand permanent jobs.

The long struggle of the Delhi University’s ad-hoc teachers continues as the protesters come to another boil to claim their righteous place in the system. Delhi University teachers protest to demand implementation of UGC regulations, revised allowances and pension, maternity leave, etc., outside VC office in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, 1 January.

As reported by the Hindustan Times, Himanshu Singh, an ad-hoc teacher in the department of Economics at Satyawati College, said, “Most of us have been teaching for over 10 to 15 years. We think it’s reasonable to demand a one-time ordinance to absorb all 5,000 ad-hoc teachers into the university since we fulfil the requisite criteria prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and were appointed by a duly constituted selection committee.”

The announcement for the infinite hunger strike came after the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) observed a strike on Wednesday to protest against the university administration’s delay in resolving several issues, including implementing UGC Regulations 2018, the regularisation and absorption of ad-hoc teachers, and releasing monthly pension, among others.

Thinking about the present situation, according to existing provisions, the university has to adopt the 2018 UGC regulations by January 18 as well as frame ordinances for them. “To make the ordinances, an empowered committee was formed to give a report, which would have acted as a draft for the Academic Council (AC) to deliberate on. After working on it for three months over the course of 10 meetings, it is yet to be brought to the table,” DUTA president Rajib Ray said, adding that the AC meeting took place after 16 months on Wednesday, January 3.

DUTA vice-president Sudhanshu Kumar claimed that the staff promotions were dependent on the acceptance of the statute. “There are around 3,000 teachers who have been waiting for a promotion for a decade,” he claimed. If the subcommittee report is not implemented by January 18, the in toto implementation of the guidelines would mean that the recommendations by the committee would be ignored, he added. Some suggested amendments by the group of ad-hoc teachers protesting to claim their position as respected and actualised members of the varsity include modifications of screening points for ad-hoc teachers and whether study leaves could be counted for promotions.

Kumar said close to 2,000 staff members gathered near vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi’s office and demanded action on the issues of appointment and absorption of staff members, clearance of pending promotions and implementation of pension schemes for retired teaching and non-teaching staff. The teachers’ body also demanded the implementation of maternity and paternity leaves for ad-hoc teachers. The last condition demands a question of fairness on the functionality of the system as a whole. Maternity and paternity leaves for the ad-hoc teachers has been a bone of contention. Denying these rights to the teachers is extremely problematic.

“Despite the Delhi High Court order, the university has not been releasing funds for retired employees. Several former employees, who worked in the varsity for over four or five decades, are suffering because they do not have money to treat their illnesses,” Kumar said.

The conclusion to these protests seems highly unlikely in the near future. As the ad-hoc teachers gear up for a two-day strike on January 8 and 9, the fate of the students hangs in the balance. It is high time the authorities rise to action for a righteous cause.

 

With inputs from Hindustan Times.

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Kartik Chauhan

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The recent policy change in calculation of points for teaching experience will affect hundreds of DU’s ad-hoc teachers.

In an environment where ad-hoc teachers face uncertainty and battle for fair-play on a daily basis, the University of Delhi (DU) has come up with a new policy which could make things even more difficult. In this unprecedented move which only tips the scales further, DU has altered the 2013 University ordinance which allotted twenty points for teaching experience. According to the new policy, one year of teaching experience will now equal a mere four points. But if the teacher has five years of teaching experience, he or she shall be rewarded twenty points.

The magnitude of blatant disregard for ad-hoc teachers’ toil, experience and time is clear in the policy which slashes the points rewarded in a brutal manner. It is expected to affect as many as 4,500 ad-hoc teachers vying for permanent positions. A report by The Indian Express marks out how significant these points are during the screening process for permanent recruitment.

Pankaj Garg, a Mathematics lecturer and member of the academic council, spoke to The Indian Express on this issue, stating: “We have submitted a new formula to Dean of College and coordinator core committee screening for calculating points of teaching experience.” Indeed, the teachers and members of the academic and executive council have been unanimously vocal in their condemnation of the new policy, while actively raising an objection to it. The massive reduction in points not only affects the current teachers, but will also have an adverse impact on the points for teaching experience calculated for the future generations of DU’s lecturers.

This change, brought about after the University centralised the screening process for recruitment of assistant professors, leaves not only the current ad-hoc teachers, but also the students who might have desired to become university lecturers one day in the future, in an utter flux. Such unforeseen and adverse policy changes on the part of a major, reputable central university like DU, do not reflect well upon the state of higher education in government institutions. They are only the mirror reflections of a sad, deeply infested public education system, now rotting away at its core. While a University official refused to comment beyond stating to The Indian Express that they would look into the issue, only time will tell which side finally wins, and whether or not the ad-hoc teachers get their due.

Feature Image Credits: The Indian Express

Deepannita Misra

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Delhi University has announced that 4000 new teachers will be hired on a permanent basis in 2017. Officials have agreed on holding of a regular selection process, but ad-hocs demand for absorption.

Delhi University is set to hire 4000 new teachers on a permanent basis in 2017. The Delhi High Court has been informed that advertisements for the same will be issued starting this month.
According to the HRD Ministry, in a meeting held with the Ministry, the University Grants Commission and Delhi University, it was “agreed” that “holding of regular selection process, in accordance with the rules and norms laid down in this behalf, is not only an imperative but is also beneficial — both for the student community as well as the teachers themselves.”
However, the ad-hoc teachers have demanded “absorption” as they say that the appointment and promotion rules adopted by the University’s statutory body are against them. Almost 4000 teachers are still serving on an ad-hoc basis as there have been no formal appointments in the University since 2006.
By the process of absorption, the ad-hoc teachers want to be made permanent in the departments/colleges that they have been teaching in. According to the Hindustan Times, a professor from Rajdhani College maintained, “All ad-hoc teachers have been employed as per the laid down selection process of appointment. The service of these teachers is reviewed after every four months. So there is no need to test again in the name of permanent appointment process.”
Teachers from across the varsity will be mobilised in January so as to take the plea for “absorption” to the President, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. They had also written to the President earlier highlighting the problems they face.
Photo Courtesy: Hindustan Times

With inputs from Indian Express and Hindustan Times

Swareena Gurung
[email protected]

Miranda House, Delhi University. DUTA and the Miranda House Staff Association have raised their voice against the termination of the teachers, who had otherwise been appointed till November of this semester. The Principal of Miranda House claims that she made an administrative lapse in appointing 210 teachers. According to the authorities, the college can only provide the salaries for 160 sanctioned teachers and up to 193 posts that were promised as a part of the second tranche of OBC expansion. However, MHSA and DUTA oppose this and claim that the cap should have been considered prior to the appointment of the new ad hoc teachers. MHSA had even volunteered to raise funds from the permanent staff. College teachers had also been asked to redo their timetables in MH, which had recognised 16 ad hoc teachers as ‘surpluses’. Departments, such as the English Department of Miranda House had refused to make these changes on the grounds of being contrary to the guidelines set by the UGC. Earlier UGC had attempted to change the workload but this decision was withdrawn later. The work load had then slipped back to 16 Hours per week for assistant professors and 14 hours for the associate professors and professors. Nandini Dutta, who teaches Economics at Miranda House said to Times of India, Our Timetables were drawn up as per the 16-14 hour norms. Now the college is insisting on 15 and 18. None of the documents placed before us to justify this are recent or valid.” According to MHSA and DUTA, the Principal had taken a decision without having consulted the governing body of DU or UGC. They have extended their full support and are demanding that the ad hocs should be reinstated. Thus, MHRD has taken up the matter and demanded an explanation for the same. Meanwhile, a large number of classes and study slots remain untaught and unattended because of the unavailability of teachers post the termination. DUTA and the MHSA will be organising a joint Press Conference addressing the issue at the DUTA office at 1.30 p.m. on September 5, 2016, and invite everyone to attend the conference to extend their support. Featured image credits: dailymail.co.uk Tooba Towfiq [email protected]]]>

After making umpteen appeals to the VC, the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) has decided to up the ante. The association has been sitting on an indefinite relay hunger strike from 10th of October against the way decisions were being made in the varsity.

Twenty-three teachers from Ramjas College, Daulat Ram College, Delhi College of Arts and Commerce and Deen Dyal Upadhyay College and eminent DUTA executive members – DUTA secretary S. D. Siddiqui, former DUTA president Aditya Narayan Misra and Academic Council members A.K. Bhagi and M.R. Chikkara were the prime participants on first day of the strike.

“Teachers are increasingly being thrown out of decision making and the VC has shown utter disregard to the teachers’ democratic body,” said DUTA Executive member Abha Dev Habib.

DUTA is against Vice Chancellor for his contemptuous ignore of the teacher’s association and destroying the entire academic fabric by announcing new courses and academic programmes through media and running the University as his personal fiefdom.

“VC has browbeaten the entire university fraternity to accept his fanciful decisions. The drastic changes in examination and evaluation of answer-scripts, yet again announced to the media without any discussion in the Academic Council, may justifiably seem insane to the public at large but they also serve to aptly illustrate his egoism and the utterly deluded and directionless nature of his reforms,’ said one of the DUTA members.

In spite of the strike classes were not called off and teacher’s taught by taking leave for some time to take their classes.  Last time VC ordered principals of colleges to deduct salaries of those teachers who participated in the strike on 28 August.

DUTA is also planning a candle-light vigil on Friday night to further their cause. The candle-light vigil is for the 4,000 teachers who have been condemned to continue teaching in ad-hoc capacity despite being eligible.

Sakshi Gupta
[email protected]

Image source: The Hindu