DUTA PRESS RELEASE; 19.3.2018

Nearly a thousand teachers of Delhi University participated in the Adhikar Rally on Campus today to express their anger and resentment about the recent anti-education, anti-people policy pronouncements of the MHRD. The immediate issue that exercised teachers was the 5 March 2018 UGC letter that is not only a U-turn in the Reservation Policy leading to inadequate representation in violation of the Constitutional requirements but also stands to jeopardize the appointment process in Delhi University. The DUTA has demanded the unconditional withdrawal of the 5.3.2018 UGC letter and that the Government files a review petition in court and that the issue be deliberated in the Parliamentary Standing Committee. The DUTA has also demanded that the University Administration seeks permission to complete this round of appointments on the basis of the advertisements as per the existing reservation roster. The DUTA has also been raising the demand of regularization/ absorption of temporary and ad-hoc teachers.

Teachers of Delhi University are also agitated about the attempts to privatize and commercialize public-funded education in the country, making it inaccessible to large sections of students. In particular, teachers are strongly opposed to the 30-70%. funding formula, grants for infrastructural needs being replaced by loans through HEFA, the Tripartite MoU requiring steady increase in students’ fees, Graded Autonomy and the scheme of Autonomous Colleges. Teachers throughout the country are protesting against the retrograde recommendations of the 2 November 2017 MHRD notification on 7th Pay Revision and the 9 March 2018 UGC Draft Regulations.

In Delhi University, the uncertainty about appointments, promotions and pensions is deeply affecting the morale of teachers and it is extremely unfortunate that the Vice-Chancellor shows no sign of being aware of the problems afflicting the university community. Despite request for meeting a delegation of the DUTA, the VC did not respond.

The DUTA Strike was successfully carried out in most colleges and is a signal to the Government to desist from this assault on public funded universities and to take into account the just demands of the teachers regarding their working and service conditions.