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UGC asks colleges not to appoint ad-hoc teachers

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On Wednesday, 21st May, 2014, the University Grant Commission (UGC) sent letters to many colleges and departments of Delhi University, asking not to appoint ad hoc teachers since the salary of these teachers is not pertinent according to the commission’s guidelines.

As per the letter, the vacant posts those are presently filled by the ad hoc teachers should be allotted to contract or substitute teachers and these appointed teachers will be given full salary except allowances, gratuity and increment. Guest or part time teachers may be appointed against the posts falling vacant due to retirement, death or resignation. There is an approximate of 5000 ad hoc teachers appointed in the university who are being affected by this change.

“All ad hoc teachers arein state of panic and this process that UGC is asking for is completely illegal. According to the UGC, the ad hoc teachers will get full salary except the allowances which almost halves their salary. This is very disadvantageous” says Nandita Narain, President of DUTA. Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) had asked for the withdrawal of the letter and a clarification to be issued respectively. The executive committee of DUTA also called emergency meetings on 22nd and 23rd of May to delve into the matter in detail.

“We want to know the grounds on which UGC has sent these letters to the colleges because there is no transparency. There is huge contradiction between what UGC says and what is being done by university. We have written to UGC, the university and various colleges. UGC is ready to give the clarification in written form, most probably on Tuesday, 27th of May,” she added.

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Campus Central

RTI reveals Budget Head for FYUP laptops as 'OBC Grant for colleges'

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Joint Secretary Raju Rawat and DU teacher Amitav Chakraborty in March this year, the Four Year Undergraduate Program once again came under the scrutiny of the media and organisations like DUTA. The RTI consisted of 7 points including questions regarding the exact number of laptops purchased to be distributed to the FYUP students, the name of the tender finalised for the purchases, and the Budget Head under which the funds for the laptops were taken from. A copy of the RTI can be seen here. The response to the RTI (which can be viewed here) stated that the 62,600 laptops (60,000 for students, 1350 for students of EOC and 1250 for teachers) had been purchased under the Budget Head ‘OBC Grant for University Departments’ and ‘OBC Grants for colleges’. With each laptop costing Rs. 27,565.50 under the MRP, that amounts to a total of Rs. 1,72,56,00,300. The University has since then received flack for apparent misappropriation of funds in order to propagate the FYUP. In a Press Release and letters written to various media houses and newspapers, DU Registrar Alka Sharma pointed out that the OBC Expansion Grant, as declared in 2008, had been allotted for infrastructural facilities, non salary expenditures, IT infrastructure and equipment, and hence the purchase of laptops under it can be termed as ‘legitimate activity’. PRDU Organisations like the Democratic Teacher’s Front and DUTA, have however, have issues statements saying that the allocation of funds from the OBC Grant towards the FYUP laptops still counts as ‘diversion’, because the infrastructural facilities it was meant to be used for “construction of IT-enabled large-sized classrooms, extra Science laboratories and lab equipment, Computer Labs, furniture and faculty rooms”, which the University did not follow, especially last year, which led to infrastructure related problems for the FYUP students.]]>

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Campus Central

DUTA presents 'List of demands' to political parties contesting in the Lok Sabha elections

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Delhi University Teachers Union (DUTA) and other prestigious research and teaching communities of Universities across Delhi have created a list of “Demands” which they feel are urgently required to be met.This jointly prepared formal agenda has been prepared so that various political parties contesting for the Lok Sabha elections, understand the shortcomings of the current education system in the country and act upon it immediately.

The 3 page formal agenda describes key demands like democratising the education system (giving a voice to all stakeholders like teachers, students professionals) rather than limiting the decision making bodies like the AC, EC and Staff Council within a small group of people who are generally not from an academic background, a public expenditure of 6% of the GDP for Public Education as was suggested by the Kothari Commission in 1964, reduction of bureaucratisation and privatization of education.

The agenda also reiterates DUTA’s struggles against FYUP and states how large scale academic restructuring like Delhi University’s  Four Year Undergraduate Programme which was introduced hastily without honouring democratic procedures has the potential to cause more harm than good.

The weak leadership provided by the VC, Principals and Directors whose appointments are influenced by political and money power have also been criticised in the agenda as an inhibitor to quality education.

Some key points of the list of demands include:

a) States should not abdicate their responsibility to the people and concentrate more on public education.

b) The immediate implementation of the recommendation of  247th Joint Parliamentary Committee of MHRD which incites that the ‘paradigm of efficient governance’ be changed to the ‘paradigm of democratisation’ of decision making process of all stakeholders.

c) Minimisation of the role of MHRD, State Bureaucracy and UGC in the functioning of higher education.

d) Contractualisation should be discontinued, and the lack of posts lying vacant should immediately be filled.

e) The recent Debilitating experiments in DU be halted.

 On speaking to Abha Dev Habib, a DUTA representative about the possibility of DUTA meeting with members of political parties, she said that the organisation had done so on the 18th of February, earlier this year, when a large number of MPs joined the protest against the FYUP led by students and teachers. She also spoke about DUTA’s plans to address the new government that will be formed post the upcoming elections.]]>

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DUTA conducts Jashn-e-Azadi against university authorities

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Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) conducted their cultural protest, Jashn-e-Azadi, on 27th March in front of the Kirori Mal College hostel gate against the rising instances of ‘totalitarian misgovernance’ by the University authorities. The stage was opened by a speech by DUTA president, Nandita Narain, who called out the authorities on the recent passage of the code of conduct which, she said, is meant to crush any dissenting voice in the university. She also pointed out the one-year MA course will only lead to further degradation of the academic standards of the university, which is already reeling under the affects of Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP). Other points of concerns were FYUP itself, the second term of office of the VC and immediate filling of vacant posts in the faculty.

Artists followed her speech with their own forms of protests on stage. While former Indian Ocean member Sushmit Sen performed with his band, Sushmit Sen Chronicles, belling out one fusion number after another, folk artist Ratan Gambhir talked about the increasing commercialisation of education. Narain brought the evening to an end by again calling out for the urgent need to group and protest against the increasingly draconian nature of the university governance. She said that culture is one of the sharpest ways of protest and Jashn-e-Azadi was only one in a line of similar events, pointing to the cricket match which was played after the protest march on 14th February. She ended by saying, “Jab jab andhakar ka samay ayega, tab tab hum andhakar key bare mein bolengein, gaayengein”.

Featured Image Credit: Iresh Gupta for DU Beat

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Campus Central

DU's Executive Council accepts provision for VC's Second Term

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th, Delhi University’s Executive Council accepted the proposal to amend the Statute 11-F (4) of the Statutes of the University, where it has been proposed that now the Vice-Chancellor would be eligible to seek a second term. Earlier the statute mentioned that the Vice-Chancellor’s term can only be extended for a year at maximum at the recommendation of the Visitor i.e. the President of India. In 2009, the HRD Ministry wrote to all central universities to create a provision of seeking second terms for VCs when VCs of only 7 Central Universities could serve for a second term. The heads of the remaining CUs including DU and JNU were eligible for a single term only. This matter came up for discussion by the Executive Council of Delhi University this week. Former DUTA president and chairperson of AAD, Aditya Narayan Mishra said,” I am not opposed to any individual but on a matter of principles I believe that a five year term is a good enough to provide academic leadership to any institution. The VC as of now will only get to avail the right to stand for second term but all the procedure for electing the VC would take place according to the set guidelines.” The decision has received tough opposition and resentment by many teachers calling the day as ‘black day in the history of Delhi University’.’The V.C presiding over the meeting with an agenda that is going to be beneficial to him is very improper. It is not a good idea to perpetuate one person and not good for the University. It is against the wisdom of the parliament and the Delhi University Act and only for one person’s benefit”, said Nandita Narain, President of Delhi University’s Teacher’s Association (DUTA). With the latest amendments, the VC now has the authority to make a search committee for the next person to hold office, which would constitute three members. It would allow the Vice Chancellor to nominate two out of the three members. The visitor, who is the President of India, will recommend the remaining name. “The E.C members are a bunch of yes-men to the VC who could be manipulated by threats and scares of being targeting in hundreds of ways. This is constitutionally undemocratic when principals and Executive Council members are targeted”, said Narain. “There is a huge conflict of interest within the statute itself as only one clause of re-appointment is amended without amending the clause for setting up the search committee where the outcome can be easily influenced by the VC.  A nexus can set in and the VC is sending out a signal, ‘I may continue so you better behave yourself’. I want to say that movement can’t be curbed and it will continue in all possible ways which we can think of in spite of the demoralising signals the VC is sending out”, said Abha Dev Habib, an E.C member and an Assistant Professor at Miranda House, Delhi University. The professional code of ethics for teachers as approved by the Executive Council is an exhaustive set of guidelines created by UGC in 2010 that describes the ideal code of conduct for higher education teachers. The Code of Professional Ethics makes “violations” punishable that has emerged as a cause of alarm where it mentions that “If the circumstances so warrant, the Vice Chancellor may direct the governing body of the college to initiate action against a teacher on the grounds of misconduct, failing which the Vice Chancellor may take such action as provided for in the Act, statutes and ordinances of the university.” “He has enlarged the scope of what is called‘misconduct’. He has given himself the power to take direct action against any teacher even if governing body doesn’t agree. He wants to crush any kind of dissent on the syllabi and conduct of teachers. He is ‘all in all’ which is very draconian and like being back to the period of Hitler in 1939”, said Nandita Narain on the amendments to the ordinances. Image Credit: Parandeep Goswami]]>

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Students and teachers continue protests against FYUP

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The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) in association with various students’  groups conducted a Protest March to the Parliament demanding a roll-back of the FYUP on the 18th of February. The DUTA had organized this March along with various students’ organisations including All India Students’ Association (AISA), All India Democratic Students’ Organization (AIDSO), Democratic Students’ Union (DSU), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), and the students’ wing of Aam Aadmi Party – CYSS.

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In what was labelled as a March towards Parliament, students and teachers marched from outside Zakir Husain College to the Parliament Street where they were joined by MPs, leaders of political parties, trade unions, women’s organizations and civil society bodies. Political leaders including Manish Sisodia and Ashutosh (AAP), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), OP Kohli (BJP), Tarun Kumar Mandal (SUCI-Communist), Udit Raj (SC/ST Federation), DP Tripathi (NCP), Kavita Krishnan (CPI-ML and AIPWA), Jagmati Sangwan (AIDWA) and Iqbal Singh Sindhu (AIFUCTO), All India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) joined the procession at Parliament Street. The March culminated in a massive Public Meeting next to the Parliament Street police Barricades.

The marchers not only demanded a roll-back of the FYUP but also a reversal of the education policies’ thrust towards commercialization and PPP model. Removal of VC Dinesh Singh and condemnation of the Government’s decision to award him with a Padma Shri after allowing him to destroy Delhi University were also put forward in the form of slogans and handbills distributed to the public.

Manish Sisodia addressed the issue of commercialization of education and large-scale contractualization in teaching jobs. He also criticized the DU VC’s disregard of all democratic norms and processes, as was recently evident in the controversy over the formation of Governing Bodies in the Delhi Government colleges. He underlined the need to build popular resistance against the Government’s commercialization agenda in Education and expressed the AAP’s commitment to fighting against FYUP.

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Women’s organization leaders Kavita Krishnan, Jagmati Sangwan and Ritu Kaushik (AIMSS) expressed their opposition to the FYUP by stating that it would keep the large majority of girls and young women from poorer families out of good jobs and higher studies that are the only guarantee against the conservative pressure of Khap Panchayats and the patriarchal family structures.

DUTA President Nandita Narain expressed the DUTA’s resolve to continue the struggle with greater intensity till the principal demands of the teachers and students are met. She warned the Government that its indifference to the plight of the Delhi University community would cost it heavily in the General Elections as the destruction of a Central university like DU is going to alienate the masses and turn them against any party in power that imposes anti-people measures under the garb of reforms. She attributed this indifference as a factor in the Congress Party’s heavy defeat in the last Assembly elections. She appealed to all sections of the public to join the struggle against FYUP and the policies which undermine the future of students and teachers in higher education.

In a similar protest, on 15th February, AISA led a march to UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi’s house to protest against the new format of UPSC exams and Delhi University’s four year undergraduate programme.

AISA has been condemning FYUP for a long time now and is demanding a full rollback. The student’s party had already made its stand clear on the same during the Delhi University union polls, adhering to which they have been carrying protest marches along with ABVP and DUTA in the recent past.

According to sources, due to the unavailability of UPA chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, the party led its march to All India Congress Committee’s Office where they met Mr. Janardan Dwivedi, senior leader of Indian National Congress who further deputed the case to Mr. Shakeel Ahmed, senior spokesperson of INC. Mr. Dwivedi, though ensured the protesters that their demands would be looked into and action would be taken.

DUTA and students organisations also conducted protests against Antardhvani the previous week, condemning the nature of FYUP promotion embedded in all activities of the cultural fest.

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DUTA protests against the misuse of Antardhvani

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Delhi University Teacher’s Association organized a protest cum cricket match on the 14th of this month outside the Vice Chancellor’s office, to raise its voice against misuse of Antardhvani- the annual cultural festival of Delhi University, by the VC and his administration. The march which started around 11 a.m., quickly transforming into a cricket match, was one of a kind.
Even the incessant rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of teachers and students alike who gathered in large numbers shouting slogans and supporting one team or the other. They protested against the VC’s anarchy, because according to them, the VC has been using Antardhvani for his own designs, forcing principals of different colleges to make their teachers and students attend the fest.

One of the teachers pointed out that the lack of sports in the current year shows how the VC is not opening the sports fields to teachers and students but using it only for his personal purposes. They said that these fields are public property and VC has no power to stop them from utilizing it. The DUTA demanded that the University stadia that were renovated during the CWG should be thrown open for the use of students and teachers. They also addressed the issue of FYUP and stated how the four year course could still be converted into three year graduation and last year could be optional for those who want internships. “We had initially planned to play against the VC, wanting to beat all the shady people on their team but he hasn’t even been talking to us let alone turning up for this match, so we played against the students”, said Nandita Narain, the President of DUTA sarcastically. “We also want FYUP to be rolled back for the current batch but I don’t see this happening because our VC is all about the Padma Shri award”, said another member of DUTA.

All in all the protest march was yet another attempt of DUTA to bring a change in the continuously deteriorating conditions of the University. The cricket match with its satirical commentary in the pouring rain, showed how determined they are in their cause to do away with VC’s high handedness.

Similar protests were also carried out by various students’ groups, in the past week. Reiterating the misuse of the fest to promote FYUP and asking for its rollback, the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) along with members of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and All India Students Association (AISA) have been up in arms against the Vice Chancellor.

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DUTA holds annual meeting outside VC’s office

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Delhi University Teacher’s Association held its annual meeting on the 31st January outside the VC’s office to make new resolutions and amendments and protest against the VC who has just been honoured with Padma Shri award for ‘his excellent work‘. The meeting, although arranged on a working day, saw a considerable footfall of around hundred teachers – all strived to bring a change in the functioning of the university.

The meeting got delayed by one hour because of lack of proper arrangement for the same. Apparently the VC did not allow mikes and chairs inside the gate of the office area, there were just some sheets spread on the concrete floor for teachers to sit so they had to take their meeting outside the gate and hire chairs and mike on their own. “This was supposed to be just an annual meeting which every association has. Every university has this type of meetings which takes place inside an auditorium or a closed space but the VC won’t even allow us a room where we can sit and discuss!” says one of the teacher present there. “He has given instruction to principals of all colleges to refuse us a place to hold this meeting. This is nothing but dictatorship! And this man got a Padma Shri!” adds another. The teachers agreed unanimously that by awarding the VC a Padma Shri, the government that talks of democracy, has given an open support to dictatorship.

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The meeting was interrupted for a while by a group of teachers who took out a protest march in the same area to make the process of recruitment of ad-hoc teachers fair. There were around a fifty security personnel on guard on the orders of the VC who were instructed to rush in in case any violence took place. Apart from few angry exchanges the meeting took place peacefully. Issues like Padma Shri award to the VC, his arbitrary actions like removal of chairs and other facilities to the security guard and closure of Panditji’s tea stall which has been there for generations, delay and denial of promotions to teachers who went against him, hasty implementation of FYUP, suspension of teachers and misuse of Antardhvani were some of the issues which were dealt with in the meeting.

DUTA also invoked the students to join them in their struggle against the FYUP by citing how bad it is for their future.

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Interviews

In Conversation with Dr. Harish Khanna, DUTA Secretary and MLA from AAP

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The DUTA Secretary, Dr. Harish Khanna was recently appointed an MLA from the Aam Aadmi Party. DU Beat, amidst his busy schedule, managed to catch an interview with him.

1. From being active in Delhi University Teachers’ Union (DUTA) to being a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-How has this transition come through?

I have been active in DUTA since 1981. I have been a part of DUTA Executive Council six times and a part of the Academic Council twice. I never thought about being associated with the local politics. In the University, going among teachers and asking for votes is easy. But in local politics, one is confronted by the problems of the general public. This has been a totally different experience for me.

2. Since when have you been associated with AAP?

Earlier, I had been a sympathiser of the Jan Lokpal movement. Initially, when I was given an offer by AAP to contest the assembly elections, I denied. Subsequently, I joined AAP after being convinced by my friends in DUTA and in the party to join AAP.

3. You could have contested from Congress or BJP too. Why AAP?

If I would have wanted to, I could have joined politics much earlier (giving example of Kiran Walia, Congress MLA and the Health Minister in the last government, joined politics in 1987 who was also a member of DUTA). I was initially sceptical of contesting elections because of the murky politics. I can’t do the things that elected members from BJP and Congress do. I joined AAP because they are honest and I was impressed by their manifesto. I fought the elections with the resources provided by the party.

4. What is your take on the Four Year Undergraduate Program (FYUP)? How do you wish to take this issue up as an MLA?

We are fully against FYUP. It is indirectly opening ways for foreign universities and inviting them. This will lead to privatisation of education whereas education needs to be responsibility and priority of the government in a developing country like ours. Foundation courses in FYUP are a mix of all subjects and students from different streams are forced to study various different subjects when they have opted for specialised subjects. I will go to any extent to pressurize the centre to roll-back FYUP. Before the elections, I met the President, the Chief Minister of Delhi and the HRD Minister asking them to roll-back FYUP.

5. In your last press conference, you termed FYUP as ‘anti dalit and anti poor’. What makes FYUP ‘anti dalit and anti poor’?

FYUP imposes burden of an extra year on the students that approximately translates into extra 2 Lakhs accounting for everything for staying 1 year in Delhi. Poor students coming from faraway areas can barely manage to study for 3 year and now an additional year has been imposed on them. Dalit students will be forced to leave mid-way between the courses. FYUP is a conspiracy to admit students only from the rich families.

6. What is your take on the Vice- Chancellor and the reforms introduced by him in the University?

The VC is pro-Congress and the Congress government and the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry are completely listening to and following him. The last state government and the HRD ministry supported FYUP under the name of autonomy.

7.       How do you plan to continue your association with DUTA, now that you are an MLA?

Technically, there is no problem in serving as DUTA secretary as it functions as a trade union. Besides, I have been attending various events organised by DUTA even after getting elected as an MLA. I plan to continue my work in the University and with DUTA.

With inputs from Shaily Sharma | Image Credit: Abhinav Arora

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St. Stephen's

Committee constituted against DUTA President

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A three member committee has been set up by the St. Stephen’s College governing body against Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) President and the college’s senior Mathematics teacher Nandita Narain for the alleged comments she made against college Principal Valson Thampu.

The committee is headed by ex-Lokayukta of Delhi, justice Manmohan Sarin, Delhi Univeristy Proctor Satwanti Kapoor and Sudhir Joseph. It has been set up to investigate into Nandita Narain’s questionable remarks against the college’s principal.

In the past few days, DUTA had been protesting against issues of sexual harrasment in the college and thats when this matter came into limelight. According to some college resources, during the course of the protest, Narain made some defamatory comments against the principal.

When we contacted Ms. Narain, she categorically denied the allegations. She also said, that a few months back, a magazine interviewed her, but the issue was not very well-written and was misleading and that must have been the cue that irked St. Stephen’s auhorities. She even asked the magazine to issue an apology which they duly did in their next issue.

The committee has been given a two month deadline to report its findings in front of the governing body. Valson Thampu remained unavailable for comment.

Image Credit: Abhinav Arora for DU Beat

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