DUTA Letter to Staff Associations reg. Strike and Protest Dharna on 24.08.2021

To

The President/Secretary/Office Bearers

_____________

_____________

22.8.2021

Dear colleagues, 

As you may know, a meeting of the Academic Council has been scheduled for 24 August 2021, 11am. For the same, the Standing Committee on Academic Matters is scheduled for 2:30 pm, 23.7.2021. The  agenda for these statutory bodies include implementation of several recommendations of NEP 2020 including FYUP, Multiple Entry and Exit Scheme (MEES), SWAYAM Regulations, MOOCs and ABC Regulations 2021. The DU administration has moved forward on the matter of restructuring without consulting statutory bodies at the level of faculties, departments and colleges. 

The DUTA GBMs have opposed NEP tooth and nail for its ramifications for higher education. The SWAYAM Regulations 2021 and ABC Regulations 2021, which allow students to take upto 40% – 50% credits from either SWAYAM repository of courses or from other institutions listed under the ABC scheme will reduce the role of educational institutions and teachers and lead to dilution of degrees for students. These recommendations will render workload unstable and lead to its reduction resulting in job cuts. 

The DUTA had submitted feedback to the UGC on Blended Learning Concept note on 6.6.2021. Please find this document attached. It presents a comprehensive study of several of these NEP recommendations which are aiming at converting regular stream into a semi-regular structure. 

The DUTA held a coordination meeting with the elected members of the Academic Council on Sunday, 22 August at 2 pm and gave direction to reject NEP recommendations in the meeting of the Standing Committee and Academic Council. 

While the DUTA has been raising with the MoE and UGC the demand for a one time Regulation for the Absorption of ad-hoc and temporary teachers as per DoPT Roster, the NEP recommendations will result in instability in workload and its reduction leading to job cuts. No restructuring which will lead to job cuts is acceptable to the DUTA . 

Through this action programme, the DUTA also demands that the 12 adhoc teachers of VNC should be immediately continued and Dr Hina Nandrajog be removed from Office. Any violation of 5 December 2019 Record of Discussion is not acceptable. To arrest confusion on this matter, the DUTA demands that the 5 Dec   2019 Record of Discussion be reported in the EC and notified again to all Heads of institutions. 

The DUTA also demands that there should be no displacement of adhoc teachers in the University Departments because of the requirement of PhD as the minimum qualification w.e.f. 1 July 2021. The University should immediately intervene and seek relief from the UGC as many adhoc teachers are losing their jobs. 

The DUTA also demands that the Vice Chancellor, as the custodian, should intervene on the matter of the 12 DU Colleges that are 100% funded by Delhi Government to ensure that this repeated crisis ends. The additional grant of 28 crores promised by Sh Kejriwal to the Principals in the month of March, should be released. To ensure relief, the University should take concrete steps including submitting proposal to the UGC for a complete takeover of the 12 DU colleges. 

We request Staff Associations to circulate the attached documents and poster widely amongst teachers for mobilisation. Our collective strength lies in our numbers. Please ensure the presence of teachers at the demonstration on the 24th.

We shall fight, we shall win! 

President, DUTA

Secretary, DUTA