FEDCUTA Press Release: 16 December 2018

The FEDCUTA held its Annual Meeting of the National Executive on 16 December 2018 at the Jamia Millia Islamia Teachers Association Office, New Delhi, to elect the members of the Secretariat. The Presidents and Secretaries and representatives of Central Universities, namely, Allahabad University Teachers’ Association (AUTA), Aligarh Muslim University Teachers‘ Association (AMUTA), Assam University Teachers’ Association (AUTA), Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), Dr. HS Gour Sagar University Teachers’ Association (DHSUTA), Jamia Teachers’ Association (JTA), Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA), Indira Gandhi National Open University Teachers’ Association (IGNOUTA), Maulana Azad National Urdu University Teachers’ Association (MANUUTA), North East Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA), Sikkim University Teachers’ Association (SUTA) and Visva Bharati University Faculty Association (VBUFA)  attended the meeting.   

The following were unanimously elected to the Secretariat of the FEDCUTA on 16 December 2018 in the meeting of the National Executive for the period 1.1.2019- 31.12.2020.

President
Dr. Rajib Ray (President, Delhi University Teachers Association)

Vice Presidents:

1.     Prof. Xavier Mao (President, North East Hill University Teachers’ Association)

2.     Prof. R S Dubey (President, Allahabad University Teachers Association)

Secretary
Prof. Atul Sood, (President, Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association)

Jt. Secretary
Prof. Suneetha Rani (President, Hyderabad Central University)

Treasurer
Prof. Majid Jamil (Secretary, Jamia Teachers Association)

The National Executive of the FEDCUTA decided to carry forward the struggles of the last few years, especially in the context when public-funded education in India is facing an unprecedented attack in terms of withdrawal of funding, hollowing out of academic and scientific content and subversion of its democratic and inclusive character. The Tripartite MoU that the Government has forced Universities to sign, committing to increase in fees to generate resources, the replacement of grants by loans through HEFA, Regulations on Graded Autonomy and Autonomous Colleges, the dismantling of the UGC and the proposed Bill on HECI (that will replace the UGC with a body under the direct control of Government, with draconian monitoring powers but no role in giving grants), the attempts to force universities to generate 30% of the cost of pay revision and the setting up of Institutions of Excellence indicate the policy direction for Higher Education very clearly. The attack on the Reservation Policy by asking universities to make department/ subject wise Reservation Rosters instead of taking the college/ University as a unit shows the insincerity of the Government to ensure that the constitutionally mandated percentages of 15 /7.5 and 27 for SC/ ST and OBC respectively are attained and maintained. On the other hand, the increasing instances of turmoil on university campuses, wherein teachers and students are brutally attacked and/or victimized for raising their voice against the authoritarian actions of VCs and attempts to destroy the autonomous character of academic institutions by imposing the CCS rules of conduct and draconian measures like the ESMA threaten the very existence of universities and their democratic space.

In this context the newly elected resolved to also expand its reach across the country and make all efforts to strengthen the JFME (Joint Forum for Movement on Education) which has given a call for a nationwide campaign in defence of public education and a Citizen’s March in Delhi on 19 February 2019.


Rajib Ray, President (FEDCUTA)
Atul Sood, Secretary (FEDCUTA)

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