DUTA Letter to VC, 07.05.2018
7 May 2018
Prof. Yogesh Kumar Tyagi
Vice Chancellor
University of Delhi
Delhi 110007
Subject: Issues concerning teachers
Dear Prof. Tyagi,
We wish to express our dismay and anguish over the fact that most of the issues of teachers remain unresolved even after more than two years since you assumed office. Teachers have been waiting for appointments, promotions and pension but unfortunately, there is no movement on these issues. The University has been setting up Committees as a routine procedure without any outcome. Routine matters remain pending and regular meetings of Statutory Bodies are not being convened. The impact of these delays in a University as large as ours is devastating as large numbers of teachers across colleges and departments are affected. Delays in routine processes are also affecting the day-to-day academic work and the lives of teachers, karamcharis and students.
1. It is shocking that the University has violated all deadlines laid down by the High Court with regards to the filling up of posts. Subsequent to the 5 March 2018 letter from the UGC, the University has cancelled the scheduled Selection Committees. For the past year, the appointment process of teachers in colleges was so sluggish that only one college held interviews, that too for one department. Over 1700 advertised posts are lying vacant in colleges. The fear that these advertisements too will be allowed to lapse is real. You may be aware that the DUTA has been demanding the withdrawal of the 5 March letter as the Department-wise/Subject-wise Roster is a subversion of the Reservation Policy. We have written to the Prime Minister on the matter and have also reached out to leaders of political parties. Because of the opposition received by the Government on this matter from various quarters, the Government and the UGC have filed SLPs seeking review of the Court Orders (as informed by the UGC letter dated 20 March). The University should seek special permission from MHRD/UGC to allow it to continue the appointment process for the advertised posts. Since these appointments were being made under the direction of the High Court there is sufficient reason to seek such permission. Further, we wish to remind you that the DUTA has been demanding a fair and transparent appointment process and the regularization/ absorption of temporary and ad-hoc teachers who have served the institution to the best of their abilities despite all odds and uncertainties.
2. It is equally unfortunate that teachers are languishing without a single promotion since 2008 or from even before. Teachers are waiting for a positive resolution on the issue of counting of past service as it affects over 2000 teachers. The Ordinances for MPS 1998 and CAS 2010 allowed the counting of past service in recognition of the fact that most college teachers spend several years teaching in ad-hoc capacity. Counting of past service is necessary to ensure that the services of teachers working in extremely vulnerable conditions are recognized and in order to prevent the flight of talent. Today, the promotion files of teachers in colleges have been kept pending as they wait for the University to resolve this issue. The proceedings of the Committee set up to look into the matter should be expedited and the report should be placed in the EC for discussion. Furthermore, many clear cases have also been held up due to the lethargy shown by the administration. Cases of teachers due for promotion before 2008 are also pending. The University must also speed up holding of Selection Committees for teachers whose promotion to Associate Professor and Professor Grades are pending in Departments. This inexplicable delay of promotion is nothing short of a denial and has become a cause for deep demoralization amongst large sections of teachers.
3. No steps have been taken to find a resolution to the issue of pensions for retired teachers who have spent their entire lives serving the university. No progress in release of pension has been made even in those cases that are not subjudice, namely category 3 as well as the ‘options’ category who are in GPF with pension accounts/numbers for the last twenty years. The DUTA reiterates its demand that the University withdraws the Review Petition it has filed.
4. Teachers of several colleges are extremely exercised over the attempts by the Government to thrust autonomous status on to them in connivance with college administrations and governing bodies. The Scheme of Autonomous Colleges and Graded Autonomy, which push towards self-financing schemes and online courses, will have far reaching consequences for higher education, changing its objectives and purpose especially in a country like ours. On 20 March 2018, 60 institutions were granted Autonomy under the scheme of Graded Autonomy and Scheme of Autonomous Colleges. The UGC also organized a meeting with Principals of DU Colleges on 27 April 2018 in this regard. There are reports that the University has nominated some Professors to the UGC Committee that will decide on the grant of autonomy. It is shocking that the University, instead of resisting these attempts by the Government to dismember it, is actively participating in the process of its destruction. We urge you to not allow the blatant violation of the Act, Statutes and Ordinances of the University. The University must urgently convene meetings of the Academic and Executive Councils to generate feedback of the statutory bodies on these schemes. Staff Council resolutions should be invited from colleges, which can be circulated to members of Academic Council and Executive Council for deliberations and the views of the stakeholders against such a move should be communicated to the MHRD.
5. The DUTA had written to you about irregularities in dealing with the cases of sexual harassment. We appeal to you to urgently look into the cases listed in the DUTA representation dated 17 April 2018. It is only by ensuring fair, transparent and time-bound processes for enquiries against complaints that the University can send out a message of Zero Tolerance for sexual harassment.
6. We also want to draw your attention to issues of e-procurement and delay in research grants. The limits on e-procurement should be as per the GoI rules. Arbitrary lowering of the slab is jeopardizing research in the university. The silence on research grants after calling for applications is also inexplicable.
We have repeatedly written to you to seek redressal of issues of appointments, counting of past service, promotion and pension. The total lack of concern shown by the administration has caused widespread unrest. We have had several action programmes to highlight these demands but none of the issues have been resolved. This has compelled us to call for Evaluation Boycott starting from 9 May 2018. We demand that the University takes concrete visible steps towards resolution of these problems. The Evaluation Boycott is also to demand that the Government withdraws the 5 March 2018 letter and takes steps to ensure that the appointment process in Delhi University begins forthwith. The Government must also stop thrusting financial autonomy on to institutions. The teachers of Delhi University are also demanding the removal of all the retrograde clauses with respect to Pay Revision and Service Conditions of teachers from the UGC Draft Regulations.
The teachers of the Delhi University are being forced to take this extreme step because of the continuous and aggressive policy assault on one hand and the University’s apathy towards our problems on the other.
We urge you to meet the delegation of DUTA Office Bearers at the earliest so that immediate solutions can be found to some of the issues highlighted in this letter.
Thanking you,
With regards
| Rajib Ray President, DUTA |
Vivek Chaudhary Secretary, DUTA |
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