DUTA Press Release: 22 October 2019

The DUTA Executive met today to discuss Delhi University’s proposal to accept the status of an Institution of Eminence (IoE) and unanimously rejected it on the ground that it involves a push towards privatisation of education as confessed by Prakash Javadekar while announcing for the first time Graded Autonomy for Universities and grant of IoE status. He had confessed that these steps constitute initiation of liberalisation in the education sector. A reading of the documents concerning IoE substantiates that deregulation of these institutions is accompanied by provisions which make them dependent on the market to finance the activities they are tasked with.

The DUTA takes strong exception to the University administration’s attempts to try and somewhat obscure parts of the bitter pill by placing only one document on the agenda of the Executive Council meeting as ­_Annexue-5.0.3: Steps taken to implement the Institutions of Eminence (IoE) Scheme, Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development dated  05-September-2019_. It ought to have placed for deliberation at least two other document: UGC (Institutions of Eminence Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2017 (IOE Regulations), and UGC (Declaration of Government Educational Institutions as Institutions of Eminence) Guidelines, 2017 (IOE Guidelines).

A reading of the three documents reveals the following pernicious provisions pushing for privatisation through self-financing:

The Annexure 5.0.3 offers a list ironically titled “Benefits of Institutions of Eminence”. The very first item promises to a Government IoE additional funding of up to 1000 cr. A reading of Clause 6.2.2 of the IoE Guidelines makes clear that this is not a benefit. The clause reads: “The assistance would be up to an amount of Rupees One thousand Crore or 50 to 75% of the requirement projected in the perspective and detailed plans submitted by the institution, whichever is less, to each Institution in a span of five years starting from the financial year of declaration of Institute as Institution of Eminence.”

The University may get as additional grant a maximum of 50% to 75% of expenditure required subject to a maximum of 1000 crores towards meeting conditions to remain as IoE. For example if the need is to spend 3000 crores, it has to raise 2000 crore as revenue through fees or other commercial activities.

The example may appear ridiculous in terms of projected expenditure but is not. The following requirements involve huge expenditure: (1) setting up world class labs and libraries, and provision of world-class amenities to students; (2) expanding intake of students along with world-class infrastructure and appointing more teachers to ensure reduction in student teachers ratio; (3) offering foreign teachers attractive salaries and variable pay to domestic teachers with UGC scale being the bottom line.

Upto 25% of faculty are to be foreign faculty and among the rest would be persons drawn from industry, for whom UGC qualifications would not apply. Neither of would be willing to join without much higher salary than provided under UGC regulations.

The variable pay provision for domestic teachers will strengthen a particularly obnoxious trend. Burdened with the task of raising huge sums as revenue, the variable pay provision is bound to incentivise those      capable of and willing to devote themselves to commerce friendly activities.
The inevitable huge increase in expenditure which the Government is not promising to fund will increase fees astronomically. Increase in fees will not be enough unless the university’s engagements get reoriented towards revenue-generating ones meeting immediate market demands at the expense of core and fundamental engagements which may not have immediate market demand.
The IoE scheme also offers some avenues for raising revenue. 30% of students can be foreign students with full freedom to determine fees they have to pay. In order to attract foreign students willing to pay astronomical fees, courses and amenities have to redesigned.

It also gives the university the freedom to determine fees for domestic students subject to one meaningless rider. The rider is a principle that no one will be turned away for his/her incapacity to pay. In the absence of any guideline on how high the fees are and the means criteria to be entitled to fee waiver / scholarship. Loans binding their future would become the only effective mechanism.
The list of benefits also includes benefits which used to be the prerogative of every university that was unwisely snatched away by the Government when it imposed CBCS. The freedom to design courses and course content ought to be with the universities anyway, it was snatched away from all and is being given to some provided they accept self-financing!

The freedom offered by way of greater academic, administrative and financial autonomy – the freedom from Government regulation – is a part of the Draft NEP 2019. All institutions are to be deregulated and all managements will get the freedom to decide courses, the number of students to admit, the number of teachers to recruit, qualifications required for a teacher, teachers’ pay and career progression. The only difference here is on student-teacher ratio and adequate infrastructure requirement for those who wish to get brand value through official IoE tag or need a part of expenditure funded by the Government.

The DUTA Executive also expressed its concern that the University administration had not thought it necessary to bring to the Academic Council an issue that will have far-reaching consequences for the future of education.

The DUTA Executive also took a decision to call for a Total Shutdown of the University on Friday, 25 October 2019 and a Dharna from 1pm to 3 pm outside the Executive Council meeting to protest against this move and also to demand the withdrawal of the 28th August 2019 letter asking for guest appointments to be made against all new vacancies.

Rajib Ray President, DUTA Rajinder Singh Secretary, DUTA