The poignancy of an ad hoc position at Delhi University has been brought home by the January 4-13 hunger strike of affected teachers.
A university known for its excellence in education has been taking recourse to such appointments for two decades! Data collected from 34 of the 80-odd DU colleges show that out of a total of 4,242 teachers, the proportion of permanent and ad hoc teachers is 57.35% and 42.64% respectively, a clear violation of the University Grants Commission norm of the latter not exceeding 10% of the overall staff strength.
It is high time the government intervened and ensured justice by regularising ad hoc positions.
Under existing DU rules, ad hoc teachers are appointed for a period of 120 days; once their contract expires, it is renewed after a day’s break. This process goes on until permanent employees are appointed.
Even within the 120 days, an ad hoc teacher can be replaced by some other favoured candidate.
A mystery
It is a mystery as to why this practice has been followed for long. Some argue that it is because of the inherent politics in the university. Others blame it on the government’s continued proclivity towards contractualisation of jobs. Irrespective of the reasons, it’s ad hoc teachers who are bearing the brunt.
Despite the same level of educational qualifications as the permanent staff and having to share a similar workload — and often more — in academic as well as non-academic activities, the ad hoc teachers are underpaid. They are not eligible for academic increment, medical facilities, leave travel concession, home travel concession and other perks that are provided to the permanent faculty. In addition to this, if ad hoc teachers take prolonged leave in case of emergency they are vulnerable to job loss. Most shocking of all, women teachers are not entitled to maternity leave under the ad hoc system. One has to join duty within three-four days of childbirth and if not, chances of being replaced are high.
Layers of discrimination
In most of the colleges, the ad hoc teachers are subjected to several layers of discrimination. While it often plays out in terms of a skewed workload vis-à-vis permanent staff, it also extends to the subjects one teaches: most ad hoc teachers don’t get to offer courses pertaining to their area of specialisation. Extra invigilation duties during exams is virtually a given.
During their tenure, ad hoc teachers are not allowed to participate in any kind of career advancement courses such as refresher and orientation programmes sponsored by the University Grants Commission. This way, the ad hoc system spoils the careers of young teachers and hampers the quality of higher education.
Most of the ad hoc teachers have been working in DU for 10-15 years without any pay hike. Some of them have retired from service without getting any pension and provident fund benefits.
The perpetuation of this system is not only an attack on higher education but also injustice to highly qualified teachers.
The ad hoc teachers are demanding a one-time ordinance for absorption in the same colleges where they have been teaching for years, a measure that would acknowledge their high qualifications and long service. Though a few interviews for regularisation have been conducted over the years, they are too few and far between. With authorities paying no heed to their plight, ad hoc teachers were forced to begin an indefinite hunger strike on January 4.
DUTA steps in
The strike was finally called off on January 13 after the Delhi University Teachers’ Association agreed to take up their cause.
DUTA then called for a two-day university shutdown on January 17-18.
As far back as July 2017, the Union Human Resource Development Minister had assured that the government is in the process of making permanent appointments in DU. To this day that has yet to happen. The struggle of the ad hoc teachers is a plea for justice. It must not remain an unending wait.
Bal Krishan Negi is an Assistant Professor at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, Delhi University.
