DUTA Press Release: 22 November 2016

The DUTA sat on a mass hunger strike from 9 AM to 9 PM on 22.11.2016 in front of gate no. 1 outside the V-C office in support of thousands of ad hoc and temporary teachers languishing without permanent jobs for many years. Huge number of teachers participated in the hunger strike and narrated real life horror stories of how lack of permanent jobs resulted into their exploitation, abuse and abominable service conditions that had a direct impact on their lives. Speaker after speaker elaborated how not being made permanent for so many years has destabilized their lives. Ad hoc and temporary teachers routinely face a lot of discrimination in their professional lives. In many colleges, unlike the permanent staff, they have to teach more classes moving well beyond the 16-periods-per-week UGC norms. They are also allotted more examination duties than their permanent counterparts. This form of slavery is reinforced every 4 months at the time of their rejoining. In fact, such is the inhuman nature of exploitation that sometimes female teachers are forced to take classes only a couple of days after their cesarean delivery. Very often, teachers are humiliated by the college staff because of their ad hoc status and fearing for their job security, most of such humiliated teachers are unable to voice their resistance.

Speakers reiterated that the University has been violating it’s own EC Resolution of 2007 vide Clause II.V which stipulated that: “Whenever the vacancy arises for the duration of more than four months, the same may be filled up on temporary basis as per due process and procedure i.e. through a duly constituted Selection Committee.” As a result, more and more meritorious and brilliant teachers are forced out of the University. The failure of the university administration to conduct permanent interviews on a regular basis also acts as a deterrent to attracting new talent to this profession. Teachers also emphasized on the absolute need to to rework the roster of the University and it’s colleges according to the DOPT. orders on an urgent basis to ensure social justice. With the New Education Policy and HEFA looming large on the horizon, teachers expressed their apprehension about gradual shift to the era of privatisation and contractualism. The DUTA demands a one time exemption in form of regularisation of Ad hoc and Temporary colleagues with correct roster on an urgent basis.