DUTA Letter to MHRD, 11.5.2015

11 May 2015

Sub: Concerns regarding Choice-Based Credit Ssytem (CBCS) and 

Appeal for Withdrawal of Notifications for Implementation from July 2015.

We write to draw your attention to our serious and urgent concerns about the Choice-Based Credit System and the Central Universities Bill (2013) of which the CBCS is an integral part. We wish to appeal for withdrawal of the notifications sent by the MHRD and the UGC directing universities to implement it from July 2015. Our concerns are listed in the enclosed resolution adopted unanimously by the DUTA General Body at its meeting held on 6 May, based on the resolutions of Staff Associations of 52 colleges. We have already communicated our concerns to the Chairman, UGC, but we are also sending him a copy of this letter. We would appeal to you not to allow Delhi University to be pushed into another hastily imposed systemic reform, as was the case with the FYUP, and to instead initiate a dialogue on a realistic and sustainable plan for reforms in higher education that will truly improve quality, equity and access. 

We wish to reiterate in this context our appreciation of your intervention which led to the rollback of the FYUP as also of your cautioning of the Vice-Chancellor against imposing the CBCS without adequate preparation. We may mention that the statutory and consultative processes for introducing such a systemic change have not been even initiated by the University so far. There is only an Academic Council decision of 21.1.2015 pushed through under “Any Other Items”, without any discussion and with all elected members dissenting against the decision. This was followed only on 29.4.2015 by a directive instructing Deans and Heads of Departments to have syllabi framed on the basis of the structure and model syllabi displayed on the UGC website. While urging you to take note of the grave implications of imposing syllabi prepared by the UGC on universities, we wish to emphasise the fact that the preparations of Delhi University for such a systemic change are completely missing even as admissions are about to begin. Even more so than in the case of FYUP, the victims of this anarchic situation will be the 60,000 students to be admitted to the undergraduate courses. This will be an even graver instance of playing with careers of thousands of students.

In a separate resolution, the DUTA General Body also expressed its deep dismay and anguish on the continuance in office of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dinesh Singh. The issue of a show-cause notice to him by your Ministry on charges that have been amply proven had raised the hopes of teachers, students and non-teaching staff about the end of his corrupt and destructive regime. We are sure you are aware of the systematic campaign of lies being carried out by the Vice-Chancellor and his team to mislead the public in order to stall the action that must logically follow from the show-cause notice. We urge you not to surrender the interests of this University to this malicious campaign. We draw your attention once again to the complete absence of dialogue and the continuing denial of space to the DUTA for holding meetings. The General Body meeting of 6 May had to therefore be held in the scorching heat in the open outside the University premises.

As a result of his continuing in office, concerns and grievances of teachers, students and non-teaching staff are on the rise. His dictatorial and corrupt mode of governance has encouraged and supported corruption and violation of rules by college authorities and harassment, humiliation and victimisation of teachers, students and non-teaching staff. The resolution adopted by the General Body lists the most pressing of grievances including the non-filling of thousands of vacant teaching posts, the continuing violations of GOI norms for preparing the Reservation Roster, the inhuman withholding of pensions of thousands of retiring teachers and the harassment of students through denial of Special Chance and the right to Revaluation. We reiterate our demand for the urgent removal of the VC and appeal for your intervention to ensure urgent resolution of the grievances listed.

The DUTA General Body resolved to hold a Dharna at Jantar Mantar on 15 May (1 – 4 pm) to highlight particularly our concerns with regard to the Choice-based Credit System and the Central Universities Bill and our demand for the withdrawal of the Notifications for implementation of the CBCS from July 2015. We would request you to give us time during the Dharna so that a delegation of the DUTA Office-bearers can meet you and explain our concerns to you in detail.

NANDITA NARAIN President, DUTA

HARISH KHANNA Secretary, DUTA

Encl:

1. Resolution on Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) and the Central Universities Bill, 2013
2. Resolution on long-pending unresolved issues
3. Link to Staff Association Resolutions on CBCS:

CC: Chairman, UGC

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