DUTA PRESS RELEASE: February 25, 2020

The DUTA stands categorically opposed to the DU VC’s hasty and authoritarian move to pawn away the University’s future by submitting a proposal for the Institution of Eminence (IoE) status without seeking discussion or prior statutory approval in the Academic Council and Executive Council.

Though the VC has called an emergency meeting of the Executive Council to extract formal approval for the IoE proposal, he has not allowed the statutory authorities any reasonable time to apply their minds and debate the implications of the problematic proposal. Prima Facie, the proposal is a blueprint  for steady commercialisation of the University through an undertaking to start self-financing courses and online degree programmes at a massive scale in 9 new thrust areas. The proposal also undertakes to hike student fees and employ up to 20% Foreign Faculty on an incentive-based differential pay structure. It binds DU in an obligation to raise 95 crore rupees towards meeting recurring expenses like salaries and 350 crore rupees towards non-recurring capital expenditure by 2025.

None of these provisions have been discussed in the Academic or Executive Council. In fact, the proposal attempts to replace these existing statutory bodies by an ‘independent’ Governing Council that has no elected representation of teachers, students or karamcharis. None of the representative bodies of these primary stakeholders have been consulted while drawing up this draconian proposal.

The DUTA warns the VC from going ahead with a proposal that alters the character and dilutes the core priorities of Delhi University. It urges him to put the proposal on hold for the time being, and instead, invite the DUTA, DUSU and DUCKU for honest consultation. Going ahead at this point will mean compromising on the collective interests of lakhs of people associated with the University, in terms of its academic future and questions of livelihood and sustenance.

The VC stands warned that any hasty decision to adopt the IoE proposal will compel the DUTA to address the growing anxiety of the academic community and take appropriate action against the DU administration. The VC should understand that he, as well as other high officials of the University, are not its statutory authorities; hence, the DU Act, Statutes and Ordinances do not allow them to usurp the decision-making prerogatives of the authorities. As holder of the University’s highest executive office, he is obliged to act within the purview of the Act and the collective decisions of its statutory bodies. Any attempt to unilaterally impose his decisions on these bodies will provoke widespread unrest at a time when the University can ill afford such disturbances.

Meanwhile, the DUTA is closely monitoring the developments on this draconian move and if needed, will brief the media on forthcoming action, in due time.