DUTA Press Release; 14.03.2018

The DUTA strongly condemns the UGC notification dated 5.3.2018 which drastically changes the Reservation Policy of the Government of India. The DUTA has written a letter today to Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, seeking his intervention on this matter. The DUTA will hold a Pratirodh Rally tomorrow, 15.03.2018 from Mandi House to Parliament Street protesting against this directive.

The UGC notification of 5 March 2018 has directed Universities to prepare reservation rosters afresh keeping Department/Subject as a unit, instead of the entire University/College as a unit. This is a major setback for candidates belonging to weaker sections who have been struggling to ensure adequate representation in teaching positions for SC/ST/OBC categories as per the Constitutional requirement of 15%, 7.5% and 27% respectively.

Any change of roster will lead to further delay in the Appointments. Thousands of teachers have been working on ad-hoc basis for last several years. Under the High Court Judgement of December 2016, over two thousands posts have been advertised. The DUTA has been demanding immediate filling up of posts and regulation/absorption of ad-hoc and temporary teachers.

The DUTA firmly believes that the MHRD/UGC could consider filing a Review Petition before a Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court. Since the matter concerns the Constitutional mandate for empowerment of weaker sections, it would be appropriate to have the entire matter referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee, whose recommendations could be placed before Parliament at the earliest. The DUTA demands immediate unconditional withdrawal of the UGC notification.

 Regards,