Dr. Sunita Siwach
Deputy Secretary
University Grants Commission
22nd May 2014
Sub: UGC Clarification regarding appointment of teaching staff in Delhi Colleges
Ref: Letter F.No.39-2/2013 (DC) dated 19th May, 2014, to Colleges of Delhi University
Ref: Letter F.No.39-2/2013 (DC) dated 19th May, 2014, to Colleges of Delhi University
Madam,
Apropos of our discussion on the above-mentioned letter of clarification (copy attached) issued to colleges of the University of Delhi by the UGC, regarding the nature of appointments against leave vacancies and substantive positions and the emoluments thereof, we would like to point out the following:
- While the letter states at the outset that the “college may follow UGC Regulation, 2010 dated 30/10/2010 for appointment of teaching staffs in the colleges”, some of the contents of the letter in para 1 and 2 appear to be in direct contravention of the appropriate clauses in the said Regulation. Some of these are outlined below.
- In para 1, the letter states that while contract/substitute teachers may be employed against leave vacancies of regular teachers, the salary due to them will exclude “allowances”. However, the relevant clause 13.1 of the said UGC (Principal) Regulation (copy attached) states that “The fixed emoluments paid to such contract teachers should not be less than the monthly gross salary of a regularly appointed Assistant Professor.”Thus, the Regulation clearly stipulates that allowances must be included in the salary paid to such teachers.
- The letter states that Guest/Part-time teacher (a category of contract employment whose emoluments are fixed at Rs. 1000/lecture, not exceeding Rs. 25,000/month) may be appointed against a sanctioned post that falls vacant due to superannuation/ retirement or death. However, the clause 13.1 of the said Regulation states that “The teachers should be appointed on contract basis only when it is absolutely necessary and when student-teacher ratio does not satisfy the laid down norms. In any case, the number of such appointments should not exceed 10% of the total number of faculty positions in a College/University.” Thus it is clear that the UGC Regulation envisages appointment of regular, full-time teachers against sanctioned vacant posts, and the appointment of even full-time teachers on contract basis is to be made only in exceptional circumstances. The wording of the letter appears to restrict appointments against full-time vacant sanctioned posts created by retirement/death to guest/part-time faculty, which goes against both the letter and the spirit of the Regulation.
- The last para in the letter is also misleading, since it is well-known that in Delhi University, teaching appointments made on contract for a period of at most four months at a time are commonly referred to as “ad-hoc appointments”. Delhi University Ordinances use the term “on contractual basis” to refer to such appointments.
The UGC letter, as you will appreciate, has caused alarm in the University of Delhi that currently has close to 5,000 full-time teachers (more than 50% of the total strength) employed on contract basis, which is commonly referred to as “ad-hoc” basis. You are aware that regular appointments had been discontinued in the University since 2010, and it is only this year that the authorities have started the process of regular appointments after continuous agitation by the DUTA on this issue. As it is, the 5000 odd ad-hoc teachers have faced tremendous hardship in terms of uncertainty, loss of increments and other facilities due to denial of regular appointment. The contents of the latest letter will deprive them of their most basic right of equitable salary, and further drive teaching talent away from our University. This will strike a body blow to the already stressed teaching arrangements in our University and will be extremely detrimental to the interests of lakhs of students.
In the light of the arguments outlined above, we would urge you to issue an appropriate corrective clarification that would be consistent with the UGC Regulation and set the anxieties triggered off by the above-mentioned letter at rest. We would be obliged if this were done at the earliest so that the interests of thousands of our teachers is not harmed.
With regards,
| NANDITA NARAIN President, DUTA |
ANITA GHOSH Jt. Secretary, DUTA |
https://duta.live
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