A Joint Press Conference of the DUTA along with SSC, Hindu College, MH, SRCC, LSR, SGTB Khalsa College & Hansraj College was held today in the DUTA Office.
Rajib Ray, the DUTA President, started the Press Conference by raising critical questions on the Scheme of Autonomous Colleges and Graded Autonomy. He said that emphasis on Self-Financing new courses and academic programmes, undertaking research collaborations, running incubation centres and projects, as well as conducting routine evaluation and examination processes on the institution’s own steam, through internal receipts, clearly point towards privatization and the withdrawal of central/state funding of critical expenditure on which the academic quality, output and growth of an institution will depend. Replacing public-funding with internal receipts would clearly put the onus on college authorities to increase student-fess and enrollment exponentially. This will burden students, create more pressure on existing infrastructure (classrooms, labs etc.) and affect student-teacher ratio and diversity and inclusivity in student-profile.
Nandita Narain, SSC: A UGC committee is coming next week to inspect the college for the grant of autonomous status. The way the decision to apply for Autonomous Status was taken by the Governing Body is extremely objectionable. Stakeholders were not consulted, the Governing Body moved forward on the issue despite protests by teachers and students. Protesting students were thrown out of the hostels, teachers were intimidated and housing rules have been drastically changed against the interests of teachers and employees. 42 out of 56 permanent teachers have written to the UGC highlighting instances of arbitrariness and lack of transparency in financial and administrative matters, and appealed to the UGC to enquire into the matters raised. If decision making is arbitrary and opaque, University rules can be openly flouted, teachers and students can be victimised even now when we are bound by University rules, imagine what such an administration can do if it is granted financial and administrative autonomy! The push towards self-financing courses will marginalise regular courses, leading to hike in fees, loss of jobs for ad hoc teachers as the nature of courses will change, adverse student teacher ratio and consequential decline in quality. We will not be able to fulfill the objectives with which this institution was started, namely to provide quality education to a diverse students’ population, including students from marginalized sections. Delhi University and its colleges are a national treasure and the government is ready to destroy them! Several other teachers from the college also expressed similar concerns.
Tarun Manjhi, President SRCC: Uncritically borrowing questionable model from USA is fraught with dangerous consequences. It should be realized that the best private universities in US not commercial, unlike what is being proposed under the Autonomous College scheme. It should also be remembered that the annual budgets of some of these countries exceed the annual allocation to education in our Union budget. The Government should be concerned with effective ways of dealing with the problems of access, equity and quality instead of pushing forward the drive toward commercialisation.
Sanjaya Bohidar, SRCC: Fresh round of push is coming from the Government to make a large number of colleges, including DU colleges, autonomous. We have till date resisted applying for autonomy as this will convert our colleges into teaching shops. We have received pressure directly from PMO this time. Our Trust does not wish SRCC to be autonomous. We are convinced that “autonomy” is a right to do business. Graded Autonomy is a similar scheme for Universities. This “Autonomy” is nothing but freeing / depriving institutions from / of public funding and making them dependent on the market. It is a scheme to commercialise public funded institutions. The experience from across the country shows that autonomous colleges are forced to give admission to large number of students in order to generate funds and the increased pressure on the infrastructure and existing faculty leads to decline in quality. It is time for the country to review the scheme; it is unfortunate that well-performing institutions are being pushed towards a failed system. Basic and fundamental courses will be marginalized. The country will face a severe crisis in knowledge creation if this is done.
Atul Gupta, Hindu College: As per the Act of the Parliament, we are already autonomous. So what is this new autonomy the Government is granting us? As we have understood, this is autonomy from public funding and reservation policy. We have not chosen Government to act as a broker but to serve the people of the country. This assault on public funded higher education is similar to the way in which government schools were systematically destroyed to benefit private sector. Colleges of repute will be ruined! Also these Trusts have failed to even contribute 5% of the expenses which is mandatory. It is shocking that the Government is now ready to hand over Colleges to these defaulters!
Abhay Ranjan, Hindu College: Today over 50% teachers are working on adhoc teachers. Reorientation of the colleges will mean that many adhoc teachers may lose jobs and others will remain on contract basis. It is also an attack on students’ and teachers’ unions.
Nabanita Chakraborty, Secretary, Staff Association, HRC: We wanted to start philosophy and political science courses but we were told that it would be granted only after we accepted autonomous status. The question is whether autonomy can bring us freedom to offer social sciences or humanities courses? Experiences show that the push towards self-financing courses forces units to close down fundamental and basic courses.
Rakesh Batra, President, HRC Staff Association: We have unanimously rejected the scheme of autonomous college.
Renu Arora, Secretary, Miranda House Staff Association: MH is a 100% UGC funded college. Miranda House has played an important role in providing quality education to women. Every year a large number of first time learners join this premier institution. This inclusion has been possible because of the present fee structure. This financial autonomy will not help students, teachers or karamcharis.
Nandini Dutta, Miranda House: We do not believe in rating and ranking. DU colleges have earned their reputation through the hard work of teachers over many decades. It is rather unfortunate that the Government does not want to consult these very teachers before deciding and implementing the policy. We shall resist and fight these policy assaults not because we do not want to work, but precisely that we care for these units and our students and want to work.
Abha Dev Habib, Miranda House: With the growing economic disparity, there is no basis for commercialisation and privatization of public funded higher education. With over 50 % population below the age of 25 years, this will be the greatest disservice the Government can do as employment is closely connected with educational opportunities. Scheme of Self-financing courses, hence Autonomous Colleges and Graded Autonomy, is a reservation for those who can pay for expensive education. Funding through HEFA for infrastructural needs and Scheme of Graded Autonomy are very fundamental changes which will redefine the way higher education exits in the country. We express our dismay and anguish that the Parliament has been bypassed and many fundamental changes are being pushed as regulations.
Other members present included Gurjit Kaur and Venugopalan Gopal from Khalsa College and.
Teachers from LSR sent a message saying that they have always resisted the Autonomous Status and privatization and shall continue to do so. President of the SA, LSR, Meenakshi Pahuja said that LSR had not applied for Autonomous Status and that the Chairperson of the Staff Council had assured teachers that they would be consulted if at all this was considered.
Nandita Narain, SSC: A UGC committee is coming next week to inspect the college for the grant of autonomous status. The way the decision to apply for Autonomous Status was taken by the Governing Body is extremely objectionable. Stakeholders were not consulted, the Governing Body moved forward on the issue despite protests by teachers and students. Protesting students were thrown out of the hostels, teachers were intimidated and housing rules have been drastically changed against the interests of teachers and employees. 42 out of 56 permanent teachers have written to the UGC highlighting instances of arbitrariness and lack of transparency in financial and administrative matters, and appealed to the UGC to enquire into the matters raised. If decision making is arbitrary and opaque, University rules can be openly flouted, teachers and students can be victimised even now when we are bound by University rules, imagine what such an administration can do if it is granted financial and administrative autonomy! The push towards self-financing courses will marginalise regular courses, leading to hike in fees, loss of jobs for ad hoc teachers as the nature of courses will change, adverse student teacher ratio and consequential decline in quality. We will not be able to fulfill the objectives with which this institution was started, namely to provide quality education to a diverse students’ population, including students from marginalized sections. Delhi University and its colleges are a national treasure and the government is ready to destroy them! Several other teachers from the college also expressed similar concerns.
Tarun Manjhi, President SRCC: Uncritically borrowing questionable model from USA is fraught with dangerous consequences. It should be realized that the best private universities in US not commercial, unlike what is being proposed under the Autonomous College scheme. It should also be remembered that the annual budgets of some of these countries exceed the annual allocation to education in our Union budget. The Government should be concerned with effective ways of dealing with the problems of access, equity and quality instead of pushing forward the drive toward commercialisation.
Sanjaya Bohidar, SRCC: Fresh round of push is coming from the Government to make a large number of colleges, including DU colleges, autonomous. We have till date resisted applying for autonomy as this will convert our colleges into teaching shops. We have received pressure directly from PMO this time. Our Trust does not wish SRCC to be autonomous. We are convinced that “autonomy” is a right to do business. Graded Autonomy is a similar scheme for Universities. This “Autonomy” is nothing but freeing / depriving institutions from / of public funding and making them dependent on the market. It is a scheme to commercialise public funded institutions. The experience from across the country shows that autonomous colleges are forced to give admission to large number of students in order to generate funds and the increased pressure on the infrastructure and existing faculty leads to decline in quality. It is time for the country to review the scheme; it is unfortunate that well-performing institutions are being pushed towards a failed system. Basic and fundamental courses will be marginalized. The country will face a severe crisis in knowledge creation if this is done.
Atul Gupta, Hindu College: As per the Act of the Parliament, we are already autonomous. So what is this new autonomy the Government is granting us? As we have understood, this is autonomy from public funding and reservation policy. We have not chosen Government to act as a broker but to serve the people of the country. This assault on public funded higher education is similar to the way in which government schools were systematically destroyed to benefit private sector. Colleges of repute will be ruined! Also these Trusts have failed to even contribute 5% of the expenses which is mandatory. It is shocking that the Government is now ready to hand over Colleges to these defaulters!
Abhay Ranjan, Hindu College: Today over 50% teachers are working on adhoc teachers. Reorientation of the colleges will mean that many adhoc teachers may lose jobs and others will remain on contract basis. It is also an attack on students’ and teachers’ unions.
Nabanita Chakraborty, Secretary, Staff Association, HRC: We wanted to start philosophy and political science courses but we were told that it would be granted only after we accepted autonomous status. The question is whether autonomy can bring us freedom to offer social sciences or humanities courses? Experiences show that the push towards self-financing courses forces units to close down fundamental and basic courses.
Rakesh Batra, President, HRC Staff Association: We have unanimously rejected the scheme of autonomous college.
Renu Arora, Secretary, Miranda House Staff Association: MH is a 100% UGC funded college. Miranda House has played an important role in providing quality education to women. Every year a large number of first time learners join this premier institution. This inclusion has been possible because of the present fee structure. This financial autonomy will not help students, teachers or karamcharis.
Nandini Dutta, Miranda House: We do not believe in rating and ranking. DU colleges have earned their reputation through the hard work of teachers over many decades. It is rather unfortunate that the Government does not want to consult these very teachers before deciding and implementing the policy. We shall resist and fight these policy assaults not because we do not want to work, but precisely that we care for these units and our students and want to work.
Abha Dev Habib, Miranda House: With the growing economic disparity, there is no basis for commercialisation and privatization of public funded higher education. With over 50 % population below the age of 25 years, this will be the greatest disservice the Government can do as employment is closely connected with educational opportunities. Scheme of Self-financing courses, hence Autonomous Colleges and Graded Autonomy, is a reservation for those who can pay for expensive education. Funding through HEFA for infrastructural needs and Scheme of Graded Autonomy are very fundamental changes which will redefine the way higher education exits in the country. We express our dismay and anguish that the Parliament has been bypassed and many fundamental changes are being pushed as regulations.
Other members present included Gurjit Kaur and Venugopalan Gopal from Khalsa College and.
Teachers from LSR sent a message saying that they have always resisted the Autonomous Status and privatization and shall continue to do so. President of the SA, LSR, Meenakshi Pahuja said that LSR had not applied for Autonomous Status and that the Chairperson of the Staff Council had assured teachers that they would be consulted if at all this was considered.
| Rajib Ray President, DUTA |
Vivek Chaudhary Secretary, DUTA |
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