In a recent order, the Delhi High Court bashed Delhi University’s appointment of ad-hoc faculty to substitute regular employment of professors, while ordering regularisation for 2 ad-hoc professors.
In the past decade, the number of ad-hoc faculty appointments by Delhi University has skyrocketed, and along with that their treatment of such faculty has deteriorated significantly. On 11th July, the Delhi High Court in response to an appeal by two of Delhi University’s ad-hoc faculty, severely questioned the University for “consciously using ad-hoc appointments as a substitute for regular employment”.
The ad-hoc professors from the Department of Germanic and Romance Studies, namely Namita Khare and Mehak Talwar, petitioned in 2022 against the University’s revised guidelines for the recruitment and shortlisting of Asst. Professors that covertly excluded long-serving ad-hoc teachers, despite them qualifying the eligibility norms under the UGC guidelines.
Questioning Delhi University’s failure to recruit regular faculty while extending the petitioner’s tenure, the High Court bench of judges, Justice C.H, Shankar and Ajay Digpaul stated,
The petitioners were not engaged for a finite project or stop-gap arrangement, but entrusted with core instructional and administrative responsibilities within a permanent academic framework.”
On a typical basis, Delhi University hires ad-hoc professors on quarterly contracts which are renewed with “breaks” to avoid legal obligations. However, under this system, many teachers have taught full-time for over decades without consideration for a permanent position, despite having performed the same duties as a regular employed faculty. Commenting on the same, the bench further observed,
“The petitioners’ continued exclusion from the zone of regularisation, despite fulfilling all eligibility conditions and having rendered long and meritorious service, is violative of Articles 14 and 16 and cannot be sustained.”
As of 2022, Delhi University has over 4200 ad-hoc appointments that makes up for 40% of its total faculty strength and in the past 2 years over 2000 ad-hoc teachers have been allegedly displaced. In an interview with the Indian Express, an ad-hoc professor at Ramjas stated that he had seen no progress in career, increments or medical benefits under DU’s system of ad-hoc appointments. Regularisation for such appointments, is thus, the need of the hour to ensure equitable treatment and fair service.
A press release by the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), Delhi University welcomed the regularisation order –
The High Court order for regularization should be used to bring much awaited relief to serving adhoc teachers and those displaced.”
Rajib Ray, the President of DTF, recommended the regularisation of the remaining ad-hoc faculty as well as previously displaced teachers whose entire service should be counted towards all stages of promotion and retirement benefits.
The High Court’s judgment, reflects the Supreme Court’s 2024 Jaggo Judgment, which recognised the need for regularisation measures for ad-hoc appointees who have performed indispensable services for a prolonged and uninterrupted period.
DUTA Executive Member, Prof. Rudrashish Chakraborty further stated,
“The DU administration is guilty of exploiting the adhoc teachers during the best years of their life and then throwing them out through selection committees. This humane judgement will force the University administration to ensure the regularisation of the ad-hoc teachers in the rest of the colleges wherever interviews will be held and also to absorb those teachers who were displaced.”
Given the current state of ad-hoc teachers at Delhi University with lack of increments, promotions or medical benefits, the HC judgement is expected to bring relief and hope for the improvement of working conditions and their shortlisting for permanent positions. Recently, the DU Vice Chancellor, Yogesh Singh has agreed to send an official representative to the University Grants Commission (UGC) as the ad-hoc faculty demands recognition of past service and provision of promotion and retirement benefits.
Read also: DU sends UGC rep as teachers demand recognition of past service
Image Source: DNA India
Aaratrika Ghosh
