The executive body of Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) has resolved to continue its strike to push for one-time absorption of ad hoc teachers, union’s treasurer Abha Dev Habib said on Friday. The future course of the agitation will be decided at the union’s general body meeting on Saturday.
“While we welcome the fact that the HRD Ministry took cognisance of our issue and the agitating teachers got some relief, we will continue our protests in a peaceful manner,” Ms. Habib said.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development on Friday wrote to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the DU Vice-Chancellor, instructing them to take appropriate action based on the discussions held between the teachers’ union and the MHRD officials on Thursday.
Recommendations include changes in UGC’s regulations on minimum qualification for appointment of teachers and other staff so as to ensure ad hoc and other serving teachers may be eligible for interviews to permanent positions; tweaking of letter issued by the Vice-Chancellor directing colleges to appoint “guest teachers” against vacancies arising in the current academic session (the trigger for the protests) to include ad hocs, contract and temporary faculty; deliberation by UGC on additional posts to be created in the university on account of EWS expansion within 30 days and no teachers be let off merely on the grounds of falling in the EWS roster point and the university should decide on promotions at the earliest after taking into account options from eligible teachers and past service will be counted for direct recruitment and promotion.
Demands considered
With this four major demands that the union placed initially have been met. However, the teachers said their primary demand of one-time absorption of ad hoc and temporary teachers still remains unfulfilled. Government officials have informed DUTA representatives that no discussion on absorption of teachers would take place until the Viceregal Lodge, where they are protesting, is vacated.
Most teachers sitting on protest inside the Vice-Chancellor’s office have vacated the premises after discussions with university officials and police, sources said. The DUTA was deliberating upon the course of action, in terms of assisting teachers who were continuing the protest, DUTA vice-president Alok Ranjan Pandey said. The teachers weren’t being allowed to bring blankets or even water to assist those who are protesting, he said.
The registrar in a statement said that senior academicians and deans had condemned “the violence and damage to university property” and appealed for end to the agitation.
