DUTA Letter to HRD Standing Committee investigating “Functioning of the University of Delhi”

10 October 2014

We have just come to know that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development has taken up the matter of “Functioning of the University of Delhi” for detailed examination. As you are aware, the University recently withdrew the controversial Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) introduced last year. This was an important demand on which students and teachers had been agitating since its announcement and we are very grateful for the intervention of the Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource Development that led to its withdrawal. The FYUP was a significant example of what can happen when the University administration flouts statutory requirements, disregards due processes and systematically refuses all dialogue with students, teachers and non-teaching staff. Its rollback was an important step, but much more needs to be done to ensure that something like this does not happen again. We therefore appreciate that the Parliamentary Standing Committee has taken up a comprehensive examination of the functioning of the University. 

In this regard, we wish to inform you that the Delhi University Teachers’ Association has prepared a detailed report on the functioning of the University over the last few years under the current Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dinesh Singh. The report, which is a White Paper titled “Grave Illegalities, Academic Erosion, Administrative Breakdown: Abuse of Office during tenure of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dinesh Singh”, provides details on all the aspects related to the functioning of the University that the Parliamentary Committee has listed out. The report was submitted in August to the President of India in his capacity as Visitor of the University. A copy of this report has also been sumitted to the Hon’ble Minister for Human Resource Development. 

We wish to submit a copy of this report for the consideration of the Committee. The report is around 40 pages but it includes more than 400 pages of annexures as evidence. A copy with all annexures will be delivered to your office tomorrow. Meanwhile, we are sending you a link to the online version that is available on our website:

We would also be grateful for an opportunity to appear before the Committee and explain various aspects of what has gone terribly wrong in the University and what needs to be done to rescue it from its present crisis and improve its functioning. As representatives of the teachers of this University, we are anguished by its ongoing downslide and deeply committed to restoring and improving its ability to cater to the educational needs and aspirations of the thousands of students who come to study here from different corners of the country.

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