Eight members of Delhi University’s Academic Council submitted a note during a meeting on Friday, flagging the displacement of serving teachers and calling the death of an ad hoc faculty who was sacked this year “institutional murder”.
The DU Teachers’ Association (DUTA) also led a protest with hundreds of faculty members outside the venue of the meeting, which began with two minutes’ silence in memory of Samarveer. An ad hoc assistant professor in the department of philosophy at Hindu College, the 33-year-old was found dead in April after he was allegedly distressed over being terminated in February.
In the note to the Academic Council, the eight members said it was shocking that the DU administration remains a mute spectator as massive displacements of existing ad hoc teachers are taking place “on the basis of just 2-3 minute interviews” in most places.
“There are very serious allegations of severe politically motivated nepotism and unfair interview process that often borders on the farcical. Candidates have been humiliated during the interview process, mocked and have been asked questions which have no relevance to their academic discipline,” they submitted.
They added that the same set of experts are being sent repeatedly to selection committees, raising questions about the intent. “These issues must be thoroughly investigated and action must be taken against the culpable,” the note read.
Recruitment for permanent postings began at the university after over 10 years of ad hoc teachers serving the university.
As per official estimates, nearly 4,500 spots had to be filled at the start of the process. Several ad hoc teachers teaching at DU for a long period who sought permanent jobs did not clear the interviews. The university has said that the process is transparent and the best teachers that are being picked by the selection committees.
The protesting teachers urged the university to “undo some of these wrongs”, noting that there are over 2,000 vacancies, and ensure that all teachers on ad hoc/temporary capacity are absorbed forthwith. No college principal or administration should be allowed to play with their lives and livelihoods, they added.
DUTA president A.K. Bhagi stressed the need for absorption, noting that resolving the issue of existing ad hoc teachers will be a step towards “restoration of equality, dignity of teachers, gender equality and maintenance of quality of higher education”.
