DUTA PRESS RELEASE, 21.9.2015

Delhi’s College of Art is the only specialised institution imparting full-fledged degree education in the various Visual Arts with the National Capital region. While it is affiliated to Delhi University, it is fully funded and administered by the Delhi Government. Despite being an institution of national importance, it has suffered extreme neglect in the last few years. With only 30% regular faculty in its rolls, the college has been forced to depend on sporadic availability of casually-employed artists to run its vast array of courses. The curriculum has not been revised or updated to allow students exposure to Contemporary Art, New Media, Museology and Curating Skills, without which their career options are severely restricted. Even the available infrastructure like the Library, Print-making Lab, Computers, etc., grossly inadequate in the first place, are mismanaged and students are denied full access to these facilities. The Semester System was imposed on students without adequate feedback and discussion, resulting in the narrowest time-window within which students are required to complete and submit their creative projects. The Delhi Government has not intervened in a timely manner to ensure that the governance of the college goes on uninterrupted. At present, there is no permanent Principal in the college and the officiating Principal has also been on leave for a long time. Despite the continuing agitation of the students in the college, neither the authorities nor the Delhi Government have come up with any concrete proposal to address their grievances.

A DUTA team visited the college and spoke to teachers and students alike. On the basis of its observations, the DUTA expresses concern at the severe deterioration of learning environment in the college. The DUTA expresses solidarity with the agitating students as their demands for Infrastructure Upgradation, Permanent Recruitment of Faculty as per AICTE norms, Curriculum Revision and stable Governance are genuine and legitimate. The DUTA has also learned that some vested interests have been trying to crush the democratic agitation of students by issuing threats to the students and their families.

The DUTA urges the Delhi Government to take immediate stock of the deplorable situation prevailing in the college and intervene to bring about immediate relief for the suffering students. The generous budgetary allocation made for Education in the Delhi Government’s Budget must be reflected in concrete steps taken to restore the academic health of the college. The DUTA also hopes that the Delhi Government will do its best to form an accountable and transparent Governing Body which will be sensitive and promptly responsive to the students’ needs.