DUTA PRESS RELEASE, 10 June 2016

THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS COURT ARREST

THOUSANDS COURT ARREST IN PROTEST AGAINST MHRD DECISION LEADING TO LOSS OF JOBS AND DENIAL OF PROMOTIONS

More than four thousand teachers marched from Mandi House to Shastri Bhavan with black sashes tied around their heads to protest against the refusal of the MHRD to give a clear written assurance that the workload norms will remain unchanged with the direct teaching hours including tutorials and practicals with full weightage. Teachers Associations of Jamia Milia Islamia and IGNOU and various students’ organisations such as CYSS, Disha, KYS, NSUI, SFI and SYS also participated in the rally.

The rally was addressed by political leaders like Shri Nilotpal Basu, CPI(M), Shri K C Tyagi, JD(U), and Prof Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, RJD, apart from Office Bearers of various teachers and students organisations. Shri Deepender Huda (Congress) and Shri Sharad Yadav, JD(U) conveyed their solidarity with the protest. Shri Bashisht Narain Singh, JD(U) and MPs from various Left parties have written letters to the HRD Minister expressing support for the teachers’ demands.

The police did not let the rally proceed beyond the end of Feroze Shah Road, where they had erected a barricade. Thousands of teachers and students then broke the barricade and courted arrest. Shri Raghuvansh Prasad Singh also courted arrest along with the teachers and students. Unprepared for the massive numbers courting arrest, the police ran out of buses to carry the protesters to the Parliament Street police station, where they were detained for about two hours.

Later, the DUTA Office-Bearers submitted a memorandum addressed to the HRD Minister along with a copy of the representation given to the UGC Chairperson on 6th June. A copy of the representation is attached.

Shockingly, the Secretary, HRD, refused to meet the DUTA Office Bearers, conveying, instead, through his office staff that “the matter has been resolved “! The DUTA strongly condemns the MHRD for refusing to talk to the representatives of teachers, while planting stories in the media that their demands had been met. If the Government indeed has met the demands of teachers, it should announce it explicitly leaving no ambiguity so that normalcy can be restored at the earliest.

The DUTA Extended Executive will meet at 3 p.m. tomorrow to assess the situation and take a decision about the future course of action.

Click here for photos

NANDITA NARAIN
President, DUTA

SANDEEP
Secretary, DUTA

Please scroll down for text of DUTA Letter to HRD Minister Smt. Smriti Irani dated 10 June 2016:

10 June, 2016

Smt Smriti Zubin Irani,

Hon’ble Minister for HRD,

Govt of India.

Dear Smt Smriti Irani,

As you know, the DUTA, FEDCUTA, AIFUCTO have been protesting about the recent UGC Gazette Notification dated 4th May, 2016, and demanding its withdrawal, restoration of the workload norms prior to this Notification, complete Rollback of API and restoration of MPS 1998, one time exemption from NET for those who registered for PhD before July 2009,immediate filling up about 5000 vacant posts with the correct SC/ST/OBC/PWD roster with backlog, and setting up of the VIIth Pay Review Committee for Teachers.

We have been informed that a Notification regarding the setting up of the Pay Review Committee has been issued late last night. This will be placed before our Executive that will formulate our response to it. While this is a welcome, though belated step, we are dismayed to see that there is no assurance from you about the restoration of the workload norms nor the withdrawal of API. Nor did the Chairperson UGC give us any written assurance in the matter on 6th June, the day of the “consultation with stakeholders”, or afterwards.

We have already conveyed our concerns to you in detail, especially about the implication for the livelihood of about 5000 ad-hoc, temporary and guest lecturers, who are likely to lose their jobs with the change in workload norms viz the exclusion of tutorials from the direct teaching hours as well as the halved weightage given to practicals. It will also completely erode any quality in teaching, learning and research, and have severe adverse effects on our student-teacher ratio and global ranking.

As a result of the callous attitude of the MHRD, that brought in this Gazette Notification without any consultation with stake holders, and has refused to give a written assurance about its debilitating implications, the DUTA has been forced to observe an Evaluation Boycott. Any further delay will leave us with no option but to intensify our struggle and go for an admission boycott along with other measures.

On 30th May, more than 7000 teachers, students and families had marched to Parliament in protest. A delegation of our Office Bearers had come to the HRD Ministry, but neither you nor a single official was there to receive our memorandum or talk to us. On 6th June, a massive khali thali dharna was held outside the UGC, in which teachers and students from all over the country participated, but the Chairperson UGC gave us no written assurance whatsoever.

In Delhi University alone, thousands of teachers are attending general Body meetings and marching through the campus every few days. As an elected representative, you are expected to respond to the anguish of the people, especially teachers who are entrusted with the responsibility of nation-building, who have their fingers on the pulse of the young and are calling your attention to the impending tsunami unleashed by your policies, namely the complete destruction of the education system and the dreams of future generations.

Today, more than 10,000 teachers and students are marching to MHRD in a Black Patti Rally in protest against your anti-teacher, anti-student, anti-education and anti-people policies. The rally will reach Shastri Bhavan around 1pm, and would like you to come out and give an assurance to the gathering on our demands, that should be backed up with a written Notification.

With regards,

Nandita Narain, (DUTA President)
Sandeep, (DUTA Secretary)

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Delhi University Teachers’ Association

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