DUTA Press Release: 9 January 2019

Total Shut Down in DU for 2 days: Teachers express anger against the VC and Government

                           

The DUTA congratulates the teachers of Delhi University who participated enthusiastically in the 2 day shut-down of the University. Teaching in colleges came to a standstill as DUTA activists moved across colleges to mobilize teachers for today’s dharna. Today, thousands of teachers turned up in large numbers at Gate No. 1 to express their collective anger at the failure of the Government and the Vice-Chancellor to resolve their long standing demands.

The success of the shut-down is testimony to the fact that teachers are unwilling to tolerate the Government’s single minded agenda to destroy public funded education. Apart from the push to privatization and commercialization, the realization that thousands are languishing without permanent jobs, promotions have become a distant proposition for most teachers and pensioners are facing huge set-backs in the twilight of their life has pushed the all sections of teachers of DU on the warpath.

Speakers also highlighted the complete failure of the Vice-Chancellor of DU to ensure the adoption of the UGC Regulations 2018 so that teachers denied promotions for long years can get their rightful due. The over-bureaucratic approach of the VC has paralyzed the academic and administrative functioning of the University. The DUTA warns the Vice-Chancellor to desist from further procrastination and immediately call a meeting of the Academic Council and table the recommendations of the committee set up to facilitate the framing of relevant Ordinances in accordance with UGC Regulations.

The palpable anger at the Government’s denial of even the most basic rights to teachers including revised allowances and pensions, resolutions of the anomalies of the VI Pay Revision including stepping up, removal of the negative clauses of the UGC Regulations and denial of pension through challenges to rightfully won court cases, was expressed through slogans and speeches. The young teachers are particularly exercised by the fact that appointments have been delayed for one reason or the other and neither the Government nor the University is willing to take cognizance of their plight. The silence on the issue of the reservation roster to ensure treating the University/ College as a unit clearly shows the Govt’s intention.

The DUTA also expressed its solidarity with the All India Trade Union Strike and is determined to join hands with all sections of society to fight for the scrapping of the NPS and the demands of absorption/ regularization.

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