DUTA Press Release; 19 December 2018

Teachers and non-teaching employees of Delhi University marched together in large numbers against the inaction of the Government towards concerns of the University community on one hand and the policy onslaught towards commercialisation of public funded higher education and its destruction on the other.

So much time has passed but the Government has failed to implement 7th Pay Revision in totality for universities. The notification for implementation of revised allowances and pensions, consequent to the VII Pay Revision, and disbursal of the required funds for its implementation are still pending. Teachers are also agitated about the negative conditions of the UGC Regulations 2018 that will affect the service conditions of teachers and the unresolved anomalies of the 6th Pay Revision including stepping-up.

Thousands of teaching and non-teaching posts are not being filled on permanent basis while teachers and karamcharis are working on adhoc/contract posts for long years. The recruitment process of teachers is in jeopardy as the MHRD has not shown any interest in resolving the reservation roster issue. The UGC letter of 5 March 2018, instructing Universities to implement the reservation roster subject/discipline-wise instead of the then-existing principle of taking the University/College as a unit was resolutely opposed by the DUTA and other forums, as a result of which the Government (through the UGC Letter of 19 July) asked the Universities not to go ahead with appointments and promised to bring in an Ordinance to resolve the matter. Several months have passed and the Government is still dragging its feet on the matter. Given that the Allahabad High Court has now kept in abeyance this letter, the DUTA demands that the Government promulgates the promised Ordinance with no further delay. The teachers of DU also demand that the Govt takes a positive step toward regularisation / absorption by bringing in a one-time Regulation for the same.

Teachers and employees are also anguished that the Government has not taken any steps to release the funds for pension due to thousands of retired employees who are in the option or third category, despite having received financial estimates in July. The DUTA also demands that the SLP against grant of pension to first and second category be withdrawn. This attack on the livelihood of retired and retiring employees who have served the university for long years cannot be tolerated and they must receive their pensions expeditiously.

University employees are also united in their demand that the Old Pension Scheme (GPF scheme) be restored for all. The New Pension Scheme (NPS) that was introduced with effect from 1.1.2004 for all those who joined service on or after that date should be withdrawn as it favours market above the employees.

Teachers and karamcharis also raised their voice against recent policy attacks on higher education such as the Tripartite MoU, replacing grants by loans through HEFA, Graded Autonomy and Categorisation of Universities, that will fundamentally change the character, content and reach of public-funded education in the country. All of these policies are ways of shifting the burden of expansion and maintenance of State and Central Universities on students and parents. The DUTA fears that the recent move of the MHRD to revisit the DU Act is a surreptitious attempt to bring in provision for Scheme of Autonomous Colleges and to bring teaching and evaluation under ESMA to crush the voices of resistance among teachers. The DUTA warns the Government against any such attempt, instead it must resolve all the above issues without any delay.