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DUTA Marches to Parliament Street and Courts-Arrest

By DU Beat January 11, 2020

On 10th January 2020, University of Delhi (DU) teachers marched from Mandi House to the Parliament Street demanding absorption of all teachers, promotion and pension among other issues. Following them Courting-Arrest, Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) office bearers were invited to meet the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Secretary, UGC Chairperson and Jt. Secretary, MHRD at the Ministry.

Releasing a Press Release, DUTA Office Bearers expressed their discontentment with MHRD’s failure in the implementation of the 5 December Record of Discussions in entirety. The officials have expressed their commitment to implement the same. In this context, DUTA representatives pointed out the inaction on the Vice Chancellor (VC)’s part in implementing the 5th December Record of Discussions with respect to releasing option forms and initiating the promotion process. They also pointed out the non-implementation of the proposed relief on screening criteria and counting of past services.

The release of additional Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) expansions on student-teacher ratio along with University’s (in)action to ensure that no ad hoc is displaced due to the EWS reservation until permanent appointments are made; were also raised.

Dr Agnitra Ghosh, Professor, Kamla Nehru College, Member of DUTA, told DU Beat, “The ruling regime is hell bent on pushing more and more policies of contractualization to destroy public universities. And the DUTA and faculty members of DU are fighting against that. The entire system of ad hocism has created a situation of employment without any security and dignity. Now, the admin further wanted to downgrade ad hoc position to guest, which was resisted. For the last 10 years, DU faculty members have been denied promotions. A university can’t run in this way without basic minimum facilities provided to it’s faculty members. But DU teachers are consistently fighting back and we have also received overwhelming solidarity from the student community of DU.”

With regard to the association’s key demand, one-time absorption of temporary ad-hoc teachers, MHRD stated that only Governemt should take a decision on the same. DUTA expressed their disapproval and sought justness of the fact that several thousand young teachers have been languishing for long years without permanent jobs.

Discussing over the release of the corrected concordance tables for revision of pensions, DUTA officials were informed that the matter was presented before the Finance Ministry. Demand for the withdrawal of the letter dated 21.04.2019 to the University by MHRD was also raised, for which they were asked to pursue the matter with the Finance Ministry.

Apart from this, DUTA submitted a memorandum stating the other long-standing demand of teachers, the resolution of the UGC Regulations 2018, which has a direct bearing on the pending promotions. DUTA officials also expressed their opposition to the Draft New Education Policy 2019’s anti-education recommendations, uniting against the corporatisation of higher education. DUTA reiterated their demand for the VC’s resignation.

Since 4th December 2019, Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) has been on an indefinite strike and a 24-hour indefinite dharna outside the Vice Chancellor’s Office seeking absorption, promotion and pension for ad hocs and temporary staff.

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Anandi Sen
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DUTA to continue strike, march to VC’s office on the 23rd.

By DU Beat December 22, 2019

The DUTA General Board met on 20th December 2019 to determine the association’s trajectory of actions as they move forward with the strike

The General Board Meeting (GBM) Resolution passed by Delhi University’s Teachers’ Association (DUTA) on 20th December, begins by congratulating the teachers for making the strike effective and encouraging them to continue the day-night dharna ta the Vice Chancellor’s Office. It further appeals to them to boycott their evaluation and other official duties, in view of the association’s demands remaining unaddressed. The General Body also decided to extend its indefinite strike as ad-hoc teachers across the university, in different colleges, continue to be removed. The judgment spells out an urgent need for protestors to proactively push for the absorption of ad-hoc teachers on the basis of the Department of Personnel and Training Roster and promotion of teachers with their ad-hoc experience also being taken into consideration.

The General Body goes on to condemn the Vice-Chancellor of the University for his blatant disregard of the association’s persistent demands and refusal to revoke the highly contested 28th August 2019 letter, in the judgment. On account of the VC’s inaction, the General Body laid down various mass action programs, for the coming week; On Monday, 23rd December, a march on campus is scheduled to be held against the VC to demand the immediate implementation of Record of Discussion of 5th December 2019. The following day on Tuesday, 24th December, DUTA will hold a press conference on the issue of Absorption and other issues that stand before them. While, at colleges, where ad-hoc teachers have been terminated, DUTA Office Bearers are to correspondingly decide on an action programme if concerned principals do not immediately act upon the University Letter of 12th December 2019.

The resolution appeals staff associations to further their support for and participation in the agitation and urges them send in suggestions before the next Extended Executive on 27th December 2019 which is to be immediately followed by the next DUTA GBM on 27th December 2019 when a review of the past week will be held and another plan of action will be accordingly formulated.

Prisha Saxena

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Crisis at the prestigious Delhi University

By Guest Writer December 10, 2019

Who is to be blamed?
The year’s old fame of Delhi University has now turned into sham when thousands of its professors are on roads protesting about the incompetence of university administration. The professors, who have worked relentlessly for years and who have taught the sharpest brains of the country, teach with insecure minds. Approximately 4500 teachers in Delhi University are serving on an ad-hoc basis. This means that they are appointed for a fixed period of 4 months and are reappointed as per the whims and fancies of the college administration.
One of the major reasons for this uproar has been the 28 August circular, which has created a history in itself. Never before had the administration been so cruel to its teachers. The Delhi University assistant registrar in the circular addressed to Principals, Directors, Colleges, and Institutions informed:
“The colleges are…advised to fill up the permanent vacancies at the earliest and till permanent appointments are made, colleges may appoint guest faculty, if required, against new vacancies arising first time in academic session 2019-2020”
This means that the rejoining of the existing 4500 ad-hoc teachers is at stake since the circular clearly states the appointment of guest faculty instead of ad-hoc faculty. The entire teaching fraternity was taken aback. They were earlier hoping for permanent appointments instead of ad-hoc and now they even fear to lose their ad-hoc jobs. Some ad-hoc teachers have been teaching for more than ten years now and have a dependent family. One line of the circular was enough to make them experience sleepless nights.
Here it is important to understand the difference between ad-hoc and guest faculty. The ad-hoc teachers extract a salary as is fixed by the University Grants Commission and are given voting rights equivalent to permanent faculty. Apart from this, they are also involved in all the academic and extracurricular activities of the college/institution. Whereas on the other hand the guest faculty are expected to come, deliver a lecture and go. They are paid a nominal amount per lecture delivered and have no voting rights.
The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) took the cause of teachers and left no stone unturned to stop the implementation of such draconian circular that deprived teachers of their fundamental right to life and livelihood. Since August, they have been demanding the withdrawal of this circular, but the Vice-Chancellor turned deaf ears. The teachers when went unheard decided to boycott all the Delhi University examination invigilation and evaluation duties and resolved to protest at the VC Regal Lodge. This created a deadlock in the university and without faculty, the colleges are having a tough time in conducting the university final examinations. Who is to be blamed for such ruckus? Did the Vice-Chancellor overlook or is it the administrative inertia? Or is it the politically vested interest of few that have brought the entire education system to a halt? Why is it that whenever the ad-hoc teachers demand permanency, they are instead made insecure about their ad-hoc jobs?
Earlier also, when the voices of ad-hoc teachers strengthened for permanency, the teaching roster was changed from 200 point to 13 point. The reserved category posts as per the 13 point roster would reduce and thus the entire focus and efforts shifted towards getting the 200 point roster back in implementation. After winning this long fight with administration, now when the teachers demanded permanency, they were deprived of their existing jobs and they demanded the continuation of their existing ad-hoc jobs, forgetting about being permanent. Many questions arise. Whether the professors at the most prestigious university deserve such insecurity? Don’t they have a right to life and livelihood? What are the reasons behind the administration’s inaction and government’s delay in filling up the permanent posts? These unanswered questions are probably the reasons for the declining education system in India.

Mansi Babbar
Assistant Professor
University of Delhi

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Ad-Hoc Teachers Face Loss of Salaries in Abeyance By DUPA; DUTA Calls for Strike

By DU Beat November 30, 2019

Delhi University Principals’ Association (DUPA) decides to put joining of Ad-Hoc teachers in abeyance resulting in loss of livelihood of 4500 teachers, in response to the decision, the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) has launched an indefinite strike.

On 29th November, 2019, DUPA held a meeting. In the meeting, it was decided that joining of ad-hoc teachers and disbursal of their salaries will be suspended. DUPA has taken this decision on the basis of the 28th August 2019 DU circular, however, the circular only mandates that appointment of guest teachers can be made against only substantive vacancies arising which arise for the first in a given academic session.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, using the 28th August circular, had denied appointment of these teachers on Ad-hoc vacancies, till those vacancies could be filled on permanent basis. Due to this, the vacant position which arise out of resignation/retirement of current teachers were forcefully kept vacant. This hampered many students as many classes have not been met across colleges and departments in this semester.

Now, The 28th August letter is now being interpreted by the DUPA further to deny livelihood to more than 4500 ad-hoc teachers who are already in service and have been working against substantive posts for past several years. These teachers have been denied their salaries and renewal letters just at the end of this semester.

Saikat Ghosh, Member, Standing Committee (Academic Affairs), Academic Council, DU said, “The immediate crisis that is serving Ad-hoc teachers of DU face is due to the active connivance of some influential college principals. They have gone beyond the brief of the 28 August circular and persuaded the DU Principals Association (DUPA) to halt salaries and renewal letters for all serving Ad-hoc teachers. The DUPA’s callous decision is a betrayal of the teachers’ movement at a crucial time when the DUTA is fighting to get permanent appointments and promotions started in right earnest. Teachers are left with no option but to strike back by ceasing all official duties.”

In response to the mistreatment of teachers, wherein 4500 teachers have been shown the door, the DUTA has decided to give three working days’ time to the Vice Chancellor to agree to their demand of withdrawing the 28 August letter which has caused all of this ruckus.

DUTA has said, “If the demand is not met, the teacher body of over 10,000 teachers will go for an Indefinite Strike, starting from Wednesday, 4th December. Teachers will boycott evaluation, invigilation duties and all other official work.”

In crux of the matter, The 28 August Circular has been manipulated to deny salaries and renewal letters to more than 4500 teachers, leaving them unemployed. Adding to this, the vacancies now created due to dispersal of these teachers will create an instability amidst the entire university and hamper the classes of many students of many departments.

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Chhavi Bahmba

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DU Non-Teaching Staff Protest Demands Pending Promotions

By DU Beat October 11, 2019

Entering the 10th day of protest on Wednesday, 9th October 2019, many libraries and labs of several Delhi University (DU) colleges remained shut as the staff protested demanding pending promotions since the past 20-25 years.

Outside the Arts Faculty building, flustered staff members demanded the implementation of Recruitment Rules (RR). Earlier, a draft had been made in 2018 by a Comprehensive Committee for Delhi University (Non-Teaching) Recruitment Rules (RR) according to which staff members who have been working for a long duration to be given promotion after considering their qualifications.

Sanjay Singh, President, Delhi University Library Association said to the Millennium Post, “No promotions have taken place for the staff associated with library and labs in DU from the past 20-25 years. These people have been working in the same post for the last two decades.” Allegedly, the University aspires to fill the posts from outside, thus, they are delaying the implementation.

Around 700-800 members from DU are yet to receive their promotions. These include library staff, lab staff, clerics, assistants and senior assistants among others. Shalu, who has worked in the fraternity over the past 30 years quoted “All we are saying is implement the RR so that the staff can get their promotion. The authorities agree with it and are not denying it, but they have still not implemented the rules.”

The decision has to be taken by Tarun Das who is presently the Registrar, at Delhi University. Lokesh Kumar, Technical Assistant at DU also quoted to the Millenium Post, “We are demanding the implementation of RR rule that was filed by the Comprehensive Committee as soon as possible.”
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Anandi Sen

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DUTA’S Open Letter on Dilution of Quota by the Pillars of Government

By Shaurya Thapa January 29, 2019

As the Supreme Court ruling further attenuates the Reservation Rights of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC), DUTA pushes out a letter to question the state of incompetence and wrongdoings.

The Supreme Court in the latest ruling on the reservation rights of SC, ST, and OBC for the appointment of faculty to college and university, has decided to water down from the 200-point system to the 13-point system. The latter system considers the department or subject (taught) as a unit, whereas the earlier system considered the university or college as a unit.

This decision has in turn simply stated made it so that OBC’s would be given every 4th position available in the unit, SC’s every 7th position and ST’s every 14th position, also in the case of small units or departments that don’t have for example 7 or 14 positions, no reservations will be created. The decision as expected has come to anger and agitate those working and prospective workers and has moved the hands of DUTA (Delhi University Teachers’ Association) who have written an open letter explaining how this ruling is absurd and harmful to the ‘Dalit Bahujans’ and is a step back into granting equal rights something that is taken to be the duty of the pillars of our nation. The letter in question was addressed to the Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar asking him to bring in a Bill/ Ordinance to restore the 200-point reservation roster on the basis of college/university as a unit.

The final steps that members of DUTA have decided to undertake is to organise a march on the 31st of January from the Mandi house metro station to the Parliament street, for what they call a step necessary to ensure deliverance of basic human rights.

Feature Image Credits- Hindustan Times

Haris Khan
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An Indefinite Hunger Strike To Battle Definite Tenure

By Kartik Chauhan January 5, 2019

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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Library Association of DU Goes On Strike: No Conclusion Reached Yet

By Sara Sohail August 4, 2018

The Delhi University and Colleges Library Employees Association went on a strike on 3rd and 2nd of August 2018 in Arts Faculty for the implementation of their recently revised recruitment rules. DU Beat reports on the story.

Library staff from various colleges of the University of Delhi (DU) went on a strike in front of the Faculty of Arts on 3rd and 2nd August 2018. The library staff was demanding the implementation of the Recruitment Rules Review Committee Rules and the ACP/MACP Pay Scale Committee Report that had been delayed for one year. The strike has been continued indefinitely till Monday by the Working Committee of the Association.

According to a letter submitted by the Delhi University and Colleges Library Employees Association (DUCLEA) to the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University on 26th December 2017, the Recruitment Rules Review Committee was constituted in March 2017 to review the rules of appointment and promotion of Non-Teaching Staff. Even though the University administration had promised that the Review Committee would submit its report within three months of the date of its constitution, it wasn’t done so, says the letter. The letter also mentions that vacant posts had been continually being filled in colleges that have restricted the promotion of long-term library employees. The staff was also protesting against the recovery of pay scale given to library employees which allegedly denied proper remuneration to the long-term library employees. A series of strikes have also been held over the past year but didn’t elicit a satisfactory response from the University administration.

Along with these two main demands, the DUCLEA also necessitated the removal of library attendance system from college libraries, promotion of library staff on the basis of seniority, filling up vacant posts in libraries according to the RR Review Committee Rules, among other concerns.
The strike lasted on both the days. On the 2nd August, the staff raised slogans outside gate number 4 of the Arts Faculty and then took out a march from there throughout the University campus. On 3rd August, after there was no response from the University administration, there was a meeting of the Working Committee of DUCLEA which ascertained that the strike would be continued on Monday.

Sanjay Bhareri, the President of DUCLEA, speaking to DU Beat said, “We have been writing letters to the administration for one and a half years demanding that our general demands be fulfilled. For instance, our salary which was fixed according to a grade pay 18 years ago is now being recovered when our salary has been increased. The RR Review Committee rules have still not been implemented.” “We will stop the movement if they simply implement the rules that they themselves have created. Today we have to, under compulsion, strike. The VC always gives statements that he is with the employees and yet, there has been no implementation of a report which has been stuck for 18 months,” Mr. Bhareri added.

Feature Image Credits: Namrata Randhawa for DU Beat
Sara Sohail
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DUTA Takes to the Street Against the Discrepancies in the Permanent Recruitment Drive

By Sandeep Samal February 7, 2018

The Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, has removed 43 and added 87 new faculty members to its more-than-one-decade overdue recruitment drive. The permanent recruitment drive at the University of Delhi has sparked a controversy as many ad hoc teachers who served the University for several years have alleged discrepancies in the selection procedure. The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) came to the rescue of the ad-hoc teachers by holding a university-wide strike today and marched while sloganeering from the Faculty of Arts to the Vice Chancellor Office. The march was followed by a public meeting.

Immediate recruitment and absorption of all the long-serving ad-hoc teachers was the prime demand. The selection procedure did not account for the University Grants Commission (UGC) recommended ’50/30/20′ formula where the first 50 points are for academic and research, 30 for domain knowledge, teaching skills and teaching experience, and 20 for the interview. The recruitment process results have not been declared yet. Teachers allege lack of transparency in the permanent recruitment drive.

Prof. Anil Kumar Vishwakarma who got sacked from Faculty of Law after the recruitment drive told DU Beat that, “There is no clarity in the ’50/30/20′ formula ordained by the UGC. If they had followed these then those who are teaching at the faculty for almost a decade should have been considered. The ad-hoc members continue to teach at the university after clearing internal interviews every six months. I, myself have cleared that interview five times.”

Dr. Rajib Ray, the DUTA President, told DU Beat that, “The senior teachers who have been serving the university for a long time should be considered and there should be complete transparency in the ’50/30/20′ rule coined by the UGC. All the information should be put in the public domain.”

The teachers are demanding an independent probe. The sacked teachers have resorted to the legal discourse.

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Sandeep Samal

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Student’s Union calls for a strike at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College

By DU Beat January 23, 2017

The differences between the College Administration and the Student’s Union at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Morning) further widened this week. The crisis between the administration and the union, which has existed for sometime, continued after the removal of the student union’s board from the Canteen Area by the college authorities.

Abhishek Bishnoi, the President of the Student Union and Prateek Kothari, the Vice President of the same body, in conversation with our correspondent maintained that the college has been indifferent to their demands since election time. According to them, the proposals for the Power Backup system and better infrastructure at the Canteen area among other things had been rejected multiple times by the administration.

Prateek Kothari further added that “Even the Student Union display board was erected after many efforts. But the college administration took another offence, this time in response to a grievance post on social media. The display board was torn down. Only after many protests, it was reinstated at a different location.”

The student union’s members also complained about the lack of financial incentives. The Vice President of the student’s Union in this regard said, “Even the bare minimum funds are never made available to us. For instance, only 2.9 lakh has been sanctioned to us for the fest, which is an impossible amount to work with” .

The Students Union had also approached the college authorities, who had refrained entirely from any clarification on the matter. According to the Union members, despite repeated efforts no response has been recorded from the administrations side as yet.

The students of the college seemed harboring similar questions. Sparsh Saini, a first year student, having keenly observed the conversation, had made his opinion and said, “Something is missing. If the fests don’t do well or the infrastructure is bad, it’s the college’s reputation that gets tarnished”.

A strike has been called for in the first week of February by the Student’s Union of the college. “The administration cannot go on kicking us out of the rooms and turning deaf ears to us”, Union members added.

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Nikhil Kumar

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