DU Teachers go on Strike, UG Admission Process in Peril

Delhi University teachers have decided to boycott the ongoing undergraduate admissions in protest against not heeding to the their demands. They has been demanding HRD ministry to rolls back the new gazette notification with the provision to the criteria to ascertain teachers' academic performance

“ After much deliberation we left with no option but to boycott the admission process of the university. Already we have been boycotting evaluation. We have peacefully registered our protest but our demands have not been heeded by the University,” said President of DUTA.

On last 14 June DU Teachers had staged a protest at Jantar Mantar. The DU teachers have been boycotting evaluation of undergraduate examinations for 18 days. The students had approached the VC expressing concern over possible delay in their results.

Since May 24 the teachers have been boycotting evaluation of undergraduate examinations protesting against amendments to UGC regulations. They argue that it will lead to 50 percent job-cuts and will drastically decrease pupil-teacher ratio in higher education.

The teachers had staged an agitation at Jantar Mantar while urging the HRD ministry to rolls back the new gazette notification with the provision to the criteria to ascertain teachers' academic performance. The teachers termed their agitation as “Satyagraha”.

Concerned with the ongoing strike several student's union bodies have urged the university Vice Chancellor. A delegation of students led by ABVP members met Delhi university Vice Chancellor They demanded the resumption of evaluation work as to to avoid any delay in results.

The future of thousands of students is in danger if this unethical mode of protest (evaluation boycott) is not shunned by the teachers. University VC should ensure that due to the strike the future of the student community is suffered,” said a student leader from ABVP.

“We are with the teachers body for which they are protesting and we also urge the government to resolve the issue as soon as possible. But at the same time we also appeal to the all the teachers not to make these students scapegoats for their demands and they resume their work,” said another student member from ABVP.

It is to be note that the new gazette notification has increased the workload for assistant professors from 16 hours to 24 hours and of associate professors from 14 to 22.

The HRD ministry had directed UGC to review the same. The commission stated consultations on the issue with various representatives of teachers associations from across the country. But they consultation is yet to give any positive result. DU’s dean of examination had requested the teachers to resume evaluation work from.