With evaluation process of undergraduate examinations taking a hit, final-year students of Delhi University who want to apply for higher studies on the basis of their graduation marks might have to wait a little longer.
The results, usually announced by July, will be delayed as many DU teachers have been boycotting the evaluation process for nearly two weeks now. They claim that they “do not wish to do [boycott the evaluation procedure], but government policies are forcing them”.
The boycott will go on till Saturday, the teachers added. They are protesting against the latest gazette notification by the University Grants Commission (UGC) that increases direct teaching hours of permanent teachers, reduces the requirement of a number of teachers in a college and leaves no room for ad-hoc teachers to work in the university/college.
The protesting teachers have also threatened to boycott the admission process if the notification is not taken back. While the admission process has not been affected so far since it has been taken completely online this year, it might get affected later once enrolments start.
Skewed ratio
According to the protesters, the number of teachers will be less than the actual number needed even if they give up the boycott and in case ad-hocs lose their jobs, thus delaying the results anyway.
“Even if we go back to evaluating the papers, the job will take double the usual time with reduced number of teachers and results will be delayed anyway,” said one of the protesting teachers. Explaining the implications of the new UGC norm, Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president Nandita Narain said: “The new amendment reformulates teachers’ workload by redefining ‘direct teaching hours’ as exclusive of tutorials and by undervaluing practicals. Lectures, tutorials and practicals are part of the coursework and were always treated on a par with lectures while calculating direct teaching hours. The new calculation will lead to 50 per cent increase in teaching hours, as tutorials and practicals are integral to the course structure.”
“While the new norms will overburden teachers and drastically reduce preparation time available for lectures and hence adversely impact quality, it will reduce the number of teachers required,” she added.
“Approximately 4,000 teachers currently working in DU departments and colleges will be rendered surplus and lose employment. The hardest hit will be the lot of young teachers working on ad-hoc, temporary and guest basis for years and waiting regularisation. In many cases, it will mean loss of livelihood for families,” said DUTA executive member Abha Dev Habib.
Going by this calculation, the teacher-student ratio in various colleges will be adversely affected, thereby affecting the “quality”.
