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Teachers and non-teaching staff of SSCBS continue to protest, as they have still not received their salaries and it has disrupted their personal lives.

The last time I paid my home’s E.M.I. was in November because that’s the last time I was paid my salary,

– said Dr. Narander Kumar Nigam, who is a professor at Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (SSCBS).

Professors, along with the non-teaching staff, have not been paid their salaries for the past three months. Due to this, everyone, including the students, is facing issues at the college. SSCBS is one of the 12 Delhi University (DU) colleges that finds itself amidst the ongoing row between the Delhi government and DU.

Due to the non-payment of salaries, teachers are under massive financial stress. Dr. Nigam enumerated how it has become difficult to go about their everyday lives. Professors are unable to pay their children’s fees, loans, or medical bills. Dr. Nigam stated that he had to borrow money from his relatives, even though both he and his wife are employed.

When I am doing everything that I am expected to do, from taking classes to evaluating papers, then why am I not paid for that work?

– Dr. Narander Kumar Nigam, professor, SSCBS

Ayush, a student of SSCBS, also explained that it is very taxing for the professors to take classes under such circumstances. He further noted that this is not the first time such a thing has happened. Dr. Nigam, too, noted that this is a consistent thing that they have been experiencing since the pandemic.

People have to take loans just to meet their daily needs or clear medical bills.

– Ayush, a student of SSCBS

Further, as per Dr. Nigam, the faculty strength at the moment is 22, but the sanctioned strength is 44. Moreover, he explained that, as per University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, the strength should have been around 70. SSCBS has around 50 societies and 20 committees, and it is becoming difficult to manage all of them.

Sirf 22 faculty members ke saath, ek teacher kitna sambhal sakta hai? (There are only 22 faculty members; how much can one teacher handle?)

-Dr. Narander Kumar Nigam, professor, SSCBS

Professors at SSCBS have been protesting against the situation. However, they have collectively made sure that the students should not suffer, and till now no class has been suspended, though they claimed that the emotional stress of it all continues to be present among both the students and the teachers. Given the fact that the final semester students will be appearing for their final exams in less than three months, professors continue to take all the classes.

The students of SSCBS have shown their solidarity with the teachers. According to Ayush, on February 12, the student council of the college urged everyone to wear black as a “symbolic gesture” to show their solidarity.

Teachers have been protesting every day at the college. Dr. Nigam claimed that the teachers protest only during their free time so that students are not affected. As per the students, this may be one of the reasons that people outside the college are under the impression that the “protest” may not be serious.

Students of the college also feel that significant steps towards making the problem known have not been taken due to its location. Ujjwal, a student at SSCBS, has expressed that, though SSCBS is an off-campus college, it has charted good ranks for itself. But, due to its location, the ongoing situation at the college has not yet come to light.

If it were a college on North Campus, the situation would have garnered attention.

– Ujjwal, student of SSCBS

Furthermore, as per a statement by the Delhi government in January, it will release the funds to the 12 DU colleges only when they are de-affiliated to become a part of Delhi’s state universities. However, the students at SSCBS feel very differently about this.

The mindset of the students at SSCBS is different. Apart from wanting to get the “DU degree,” we want the college to stay under DU because a college like SSCBS should be associated with a name that can justify its stature. All the students and the professors here have worked hard to build up the institution’s name. We cannot accept going under the Delhi government

-Expressed Vasu, a student of SSCBS.

Nevertheless, as per the students, the emotional turmoil that the professors are undergoing has led to irregularities in how and what is being taught in classes. Ujjwal expressed:

Though the teachers are doing their best, sometimes they come to class, share their experience, and leave.

Dr. Nigam further shared that when they take classes, it is very difficult for a teacher to keep their emotions or things that are going around in their minds outside the class. Though the principal of the college is sympathetic towards the issues and has allegedly asked the teachers to continue their classes, both the students and the teachers are under immense emotional duress. Students and teachers at SSCBS have a lot of concern for the reputation and the educational quality that their college commands. However, things look dull as teachers and non-teaching staff continue the protest for their salaries.

Featured Image Credits: Student Council of SSCBS

DUTA Demands Release of Salaries and Other Dues

Ankita Baidya

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Faculty Displacement at IPCW: Impact on Students and Academic Integrity

By DU Beat October 5, 2023

The abrupt removal of five ad-hoc teachers from the Sociology Department at IP College has stirred new concerns about the college administration’s decision and the impact of this on both students and the faculty.

On September 29, 2023, Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW) released the list of candidates selected for the positions of assistant professors in the Sociology department. This announcement came as a surprise to both the department’s existing staff and students, as five ad-hoc teachers, with years of service at the institution, were unexpectedly displaced. The college had been conducting interviews to fill various vacancies in several departments for a while. Notably, none of the eight newly recruited professors were from the previous faculty.

The displaced faculty, who participated in the interviews, were shocked to learn that they had been replaced without any justification or prior indication. They expressed their dismay over the lack of support and understanding from the administration. One of the affected faculty members shared,

There were no words of comfort or support extended from the admin’s end. We are clueless and shattered.”

The displaced teachers had been dedicated to their roles, making significant contributions to the department’s success. They voiced their concerns regarding the fairness of the process, amidst claims of ideological differences being a reason for such sudden removals, one of the displaced ad-hoc professors emphasized that,

It is not Us vs. Them; we are not opposed to the newly hired teachers, but we are questioning the fairness of the process in that the contributions and labour of the teachers who had been working in the department for a number of years were not prioritised. We were replaced by those who had just received their master’s degrees and have little to no experience; how can they be better than us?”

Moreover, the professors demanded accountability from the selection committee and the college administration. They emphasized that this issue is not just about the fate of teachers but also about the well-being and educational experience of the students. The sudden change in faculty could disrupt the existing environment of class rooms and impact the students’ learning process.

One student from IPCW expressed,

They should have retained some of the old professors for the sake of students. Everything happened overnight. Our professors had created this department with love and dedication, and we were not prepared for this sudden change. The department was led by experts in their field, and the shock still lingers.”

Another student shared their initial experience with the new faculty, saying,

We had complete trust in our old professors’ teaching styles, and we were comfortable with them. Some of the new faculty lack prior experience, which has been a source of frustration for us as students. With exams approaching, we are concerned about the time it might take for the new faculty to adapt to our learning environment.”

During conversations, the displaced ad-hoc faculty mentioned their gratitude for the overwhelming support they received from their students and the larger academic community. However, they expressed doubts about the promise of getting position into other institutions, given the limited number of sociology departments in the university.

In conclusion, this incident at IPCW raises concerns about the legitimacy of decisions made by colleges and selection committees. Such decisions not only impact the professors who are displaced but also have far-reaching consequences on students’ education and the department’s reputation. The displaced faculty members hope that similar situations do not occur in the future.

We as teachers try to build the vision of students, we believe that with our experience they can also benefit, It takes time to form such bonds with students that we had already built. The message is simple, value the labour and contributions of those who have given their everything to build this field.” One of the displaced ad-hoc teachers from IPCW.

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DU Teachers’ Associations Unite to Take on RSS-backed Union in DUTA Elections

By DU Beat August 27, 2023

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

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DTF Criticises 8 AM to 8 PM Workday Guidelines Issued by DU

By DU Beat May 9, 2023

The notification released by DU to issue guidelines to keep colleges and departments open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on working days has drawn criticism from teachers and students across the University, the latest of which included a press release issued by the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF). It is feared that the inadequate infrastructure to implement such guidelines will exert additional stress on the faculty and students and lead to administrative problems.

On May 4, 2023, Delhi University (DU) issued guidelines to inform all colleges and departments to keep their classrooms and laboratories open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on all working days and to take appropriate measures to ensure “optimum utilisation of resources”. The guidelines received criticism from the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), which condemned the “irrational” order.

In the statement released by DTF on May 8, 2023, the organisation criticised the implementation of the 12-hour, 6-day week without consulting the Academic Council and the Executive Council on the feasibility of the guidelines. The press release also discussed whether the infrastructure facilities of colleges and departments are adequate to sustain a 12-hour work week. Additionally, it raised objections on behalf of cluster colleges and the commute time students require to move from one college to another.

Most university departments and colleges do not have adequate resources to sustain 12 working hours 6 days a week. There will be acute shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff if classrooms and laboratory facilities are kept open from 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM. This move seems to be a means to subvert the UGC norms about the weekly work provisions of teachers. Consequently, this will increase the stress levels of teachers and students and result in setbacks to academic outcomes.

– DTF Press Release dated May 8, 2023

The statement also mentioned the inadequate human resources available to execute the guidelines. They alleged that authorities are unwilling to equip the teaching and non-teaching staff to proportionally accommodate the 12-hour timings. Concerns of administrative efficiency have been raised in particular reference to colleges that hold both evening and morning shifts.

To implement this irrational order either more (teaching and non-teaching) staf need to be provided which the Delhi University administration and the Union Government of India are patently unwilling to do. Or they expect the work duration of teaching and non-teaching staff to exceed what is warranted by labour laws which would be patently illegal. Or they expect the same number of teaching and non-teaching staff to handle the longer hours which would necessarily reduce the quality of academic outcome.

– DTF Press Release dated May 8, 2023

The guidelines were implemented to ensure the “optimum utilisation of resources” and extend benefits to students and researchers. However, DTF questioned the rationality behind such a decision, as the holistic development of students cannot happen under the magnified stress of academics. The question of security also arises with the implementation of such late-night classes.

Getting trapped in the 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM classroom schedule will affect the academic and overall development of students adversely. Such late-hour classes would imply that they will return to their homes at even later hours. This raises significant security concerns, especially for female students and staff.”

– DTF Press Release dated May 8, 2023

Students have also raised objections regarding the feasibility of such strenuous guidelines. The implementation of these guidelines will cause stress and anxiety among students who are already under the burden of their academic pressures.

The first-year students already have to attend Saturday classes. The New Education Policy (NEP) is demanding as it is, and students and faculty have just started to come to terms with such a foreign academic curriculum. Suddenly, with the 12-hour workweek guidelines, it feels like we can’t escape this academic maze. We’re perpetually drowning in academic work, and now it feels like it’s a luxury to even expect an 8-hour workday.”

– first-year student at Gargi College

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Sri Sidhvi Dindi
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DU Pledges Its Staffers’ One-Day Salary Towards Coronavirus Relief Fund

By Chhavi Bamba March 31, 2020

The University of Delhi (DU) has pledged its staffers’ one day salary to the PM relief fund in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The University of Delhi (DU) has decided to pledge its staffers’ one-day worth salary to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) that has been set up in the wake of the Coronavirus spread, in an attempt to fight to the pandemic.

The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) in India is a public raised fund that does not get any budgetary compensation from the government. It was set up to provide relief and support for people in cases of natural and man-made disasters.

The PMNRF along with Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-Cares)- set up specifically during the ongoing coronavirus spread- are the two citizen-funded initiatives that have been providing relief to the economically weaker sections during the pandemic. On Monday, 30^thApril 2020, the University released a statement where this donation was proposed.

Along with this initiative, the University has apparently formed a task force in an attempt to take stock of the ongoing crisis that has arisen due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. This task force would be coming up with recommendations regarding academic and administrative responsibilities of the university in these trying times. The University has also stated that excessive amounts of financial resources are going to be needed by the centre to deal with the upcoming circumstances and provide relief to help its more vulnerable citizens in this crisis.

“The University has proposed to contribute one day’s salary of teaching and non-teaching staff to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF),” it said in a statement. The statement also revealed that a mobile application is currently in development so that employees who wish to contribute more to the PMNRF to help the situation can do so.

In the aforementioned context, the statement further read that the university is also making use of the two recently integrated apps- Google Classes and Google Hangouts- which can be used by the faculty and students to continue with the academic schedule online.

The University has also stated that it has made arrangements to provide all basic amenities to students staying in hostels, and that the mess facility is operational in all of the hostels maintained by the University. Four medical centres- The World University Services (WUS) Health Centre at North Campus, The WUS Health Centre at South Campus, East Delhi (Dr BR Ambedkar College) and West Delhi (Shivaji College)- have also been made available that have medical professionals, paramedics and ambulance around the clock.

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DU Teachers Demand Permission to Work from Home

By DU Beat March 17, 2020

With the advent of the novel Coronavirus pandemic, Delhi University (DU) teachers demand permission to work from home, DU administration releases press release to accept their demands.

On 15th March, Delhi University sought permission for teachers from the Varsity administration to work from home as the classes were suspended for all students till 31st March,2020 due to COVID-19.

Four Academic Council members sent a letter to Yogesh K Tyagi, Vice Chancellor, DU, wherein they requested extending the semester session to make use of the time lost due to regular classroom teaching coming to a halt and make necessary changes to the examination schedule.

The members said in a joint letter, “The University must seriously consider extending the semester session by a fortnight to make up for the teaching time lost due to this temporary cessation of regular classroom teaching.”

In addition to this, they also added, “Teachers should be permitted to work from home to avoid unnecessary travelling of around 10,000 citizens.”

Assistant professors Deo Kumar, Kanchan and, Saikat Ghosh, and Associate Professor Rajesh Kumar, requested work from home permission in a letter they wrote to the Vice-Chancellor as some Principals of colleges affiliated to Delhi University had asked the faculty members to report to college despite the suspension of classes. Many faculty members from various colleges extended their support to the members of Academic Council.

In response to the letter, Delhi University issued a press release that said, “Teaching-learning process shall continue through e-resources. The teachers have the option to work from home.”

The study material will be provided to students on a weekly basis on the website of every college till the suspension of classes. However, the teachers are unclear about how successful this arrangement will be.

The members also said, “Online teaching cannot be a substitute for practical learning and laboratory work where regular teaching-learning is essential.”

Feature image credits: Niharika Dabral for DU Beat

Suhani Malhotra

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