The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) organised a protest march to Parliament on Tuesday. The members were protesting against the academic performance indicator and performance based appraisal system in the University Grants Commission (UGC) draft regulations with regard to service conditions of teachers.
Demanding just criteria for the promotion of teachers, the DUTA members said they were against the points system in the UGC draft regulations according to which teachers are to be promoted. They claimed that it would weaken the teaching and learning process.
There were also demands for debates and discussions on the desirability and feasibility of introducing the semester system at the under-graduate level. According to DUTA, the semester system may result in the dilution of the Honours courses of the university. Following the protest march, DUTA members submitted a memorandum to the Human Resource Development Ministry listing their demands.
The proposal to register attendance for teachers was also opposed on the grounds that there were multiple attendance systems in faculties, departments and colleges. The DUTA was of the view that that internal assessment of students also forms a part of the multiple attendance system for teachers.
The DUTA plans to stage a demonstration outside the Executive Council meeting on Wednesday in which the attendance issue will reportedly be discussed.
