DUTA Letter to Staff Associations, 27.03.2018

To
President/ Secretary
Staff Associations
______
_______

Dear Colleagues,

The struggle of teachers, students and karmacharis against the 70:30 funding formula has borne fruit and we take the opportunity to congratulate every teacher, student and karmachari for their wholehearted participation in the movement. The UGC clarification that has come today (27.3.2018) stating that “for those centrally funded institutions whose salary commitments are being met by the UGC/MHRD, the increased liabilities due to revision of 7th CPC pay scales will be fully met by the Central Government”, is a victory of our joint struggle. However, this relief does not include the expenditure towards revised pay for karamcharis and for teachers in state universities salaries and we should not allow the government to get away with this.

Friends, it is evident that this success is only a result of our mobilization but much more remains to be fought. Systemic changes such as the replacement of grants by loans through HEFA, Tripartite MOUs, Graded Autonomy to Universities and grant of financial “Autonomy” to educational institutions of repute to turn them into teaching shops must be resisted and the Government forced to take back these ill-thought of schemes. We have to be vigilant till the Draft UGC Regulations are gazetted so that none of the retrograde recommendations become a reality.

The notifications issued by the University Administration regarding loss of teaching due to our strike also points to the success of our movement. We as teachers remain committed to our students. As in the past, the DUTA appeals to members to take measures to ensure that students are not adversely affected because of our strike. This struggle is a joint struggle of all sections of the university community and the increasing participation of students is one of its strengths.

Friends, let us make tomorrow’s People’s March from Mandi House to Parliament Street a big success and show the government that we will not allow the destruction of our universities. Let us assemble in large numbers at Mandi House at 12:30 pm. We take this opportunity to congratulate Staff Associations for their enthusiastic response by making additional bus arrangements for greater participation of students. Members of Parliament and leaders of various political parties will join our rally in solidarity.

We shall fight, we shall win.
Inquilab Zindabad!