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Amid protests, DU body passes hiring changes for assistant professors
Among the changes include caps on the number of people to be interviewed for the post and a screening mechanism for shortlisting candidates for the interview
Delhi University’s executive council (EC), the varsity’s highest decision-making body, on Friday passed a number of academic reforms, including changes to the recruitment process for assistant professors in the colleges and university departments, which drew protests from the teachers’ body.
Among the changes include caps on the number of people to be interviewed for the post and a screening mechanism for shortlisting candidates for the interview, which some teachers claimed goes against a 2019 agreement promising all ad hoc teachers in the varsity a chance to interview for the assistant professor job. Three of the 20-member EC dissented on the proposal (item 5.1).
Dissenting members sat in protest against the screening process, and sought absorption of all ad-hoc and temporary teachers.
EC member Seema Das said that the vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh had promised discussion on the 2019 document in future meetings. “Interviews are not good enough as we have seen how they are discriminatory. We rejected the 5.1 annexure and registered our dissent,” said Das.
Rajpal Singh Pawar, another EC member who dissented, said that it was important to do away with the point-based criteria for screening: “A number of people will be left out at the screening level itself if one goes by the current parameters and the assessment point index. There are people who have been teaching for years and don’t have a PhD.”
DU Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president Rajib Ray said that teachers’ body will not tolerate any violation of the December 5, 2019, record of discussion.
“Teachers gathered outside the VC’s office today to protest against the unfair screening process,” said Ray.
However, EC member VS Negi, a member of the National Teachers’ Democratic Front, said all working ad-hoc teachers will get a chance to appear for the interview. “During the meeting, the VC assured that the December 5 letter will be examined...,” said Negi.
