DUTA Press Release, 29.06.2016

The road in front of the Botany Department, Delhi University was converted into an unusual and colourful venue – that of the General Body Meeting of the Delhi University Teachers Association(DUTA). Thousands of teachers of all ages attended the meeting, and voted unanimously for continuation of the evaluation and admissions boycott.

The gathering has decided that no teachers would participate in the admissions process beginning tomorrow. Instead, the Staff Association of each College would hold a dharna in its premises and distribute leaflets to student, parents and general public, to make them aware of the crisis in the universities following the degradation of their service conditions and educational standards, and to appeal to them for their support in the struggle to save public-funded higher education.

Letters of support from the Indian Public Services Employees Federation(IPSEF) and All India Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations(AIFUCTO) were read out and an action plan to mobilise students, teachers and non-teaching employees was announced. It was decided that teams of teachers would be sent to other State Universities to generate awareness and step-up the agitation. A candle light vigil on the 4th of July in a public place and a Jansunwai on the 7th of July were some of the action programmes decided upon.

Teachers are demanding (a) scrapping of the API, a scheme that has been amended four times in the last six years and has resulted in zero promotion for teachers for the last eight years, apart from degrading teaching, learning and research  (b) Starting of permanent appointments to fill up 5000 vacant teachers’ posts through a proper GoI roster.(c) one time exemption from NET for PhD’s who registered before 2009.

After the Meeting, teachers marched to the Vice Chancellors’ Office and submitted a memorandum demanding an early start to permanent appointments with correct roster, and rollback of an illegal decision by DU to implement the API scheme retrospectively from 31.12.2008.

A copy of the GB resolution and memorandum are attached.