Delhi University adopts UGC order, teachers say 4K may lose jobs

The Delhi University adopted recent University Grants Commission’s amendments, which teachers claim could lead to around 4,000 temporary teachers losing their jobs

The Delhi University adopted recent University Grants Commission’s amendments, which teachers claim could lead to around 4,000 temporary teachers losing their jobs due to changed workload.

Teachers had earlier this year boycotted the evaluation process against the UGC guidelines on their service conditions. The protest was also against the Academic Performance Indicator (API)—the point system which determines their promotion levels. Teachers claim the UGC notification makes the API stringent.

DU’s academic council on Tuesday met to discuss UGC notifications and recommendations of a vice-chancellor appointed committee on the issue of appointments and promotion of teachers in colleges and departments, amid protests from teachers.

The agenda was to “consider a proposal to adopt the gazette notifications issued by University Grants Commission (UGC) on 4th May 2016 (3rd Amendment) and July 11, 2016 (4th Amendment) regarding minimum qualification for appointment of teachers and other academic staff”.

DU Registrar Tarun Das released a statement late night and said, “Today the AC deliberated upon the issue of 3rd and 4th amendments of the UGC Regulation in all its ramifications and adopted the same amendments in principle.”

Teachers demanded that the university expand the committee and review its recommendations.

“The existing committee is not representative as there are no elected teacher members. The academic council has decided to accept our demands and defer the proposal to accept UGC notifications. The committee will be expanded and will give its recommendations,” said Nachiketa Singh, an academic council member.

The university statement said the expanded committee will look into the operational aspects in context of DU and its colleges.

Teachers had earlier this year boycotted the evaluation process against the UGC guidelines on their service conditions. The protest was also against the Academic Performance Indicator (API)—the point system which determines their promotion levels. Teachers claim the UGC notification makes the API stringent.

In May, the Delhi University vice chancellor had appointed a three-member committee to look into the issue of appointments. The committee comprises head of geology department Devesh Sinha, head of plant molecular biology JP Khurana and head of political science Navnita Chadha Behera.

The committee had asked DU colleges to provide information on the workload and specialization of all teachers.

Teachers said the committee’s recommendations in the present format will lead to ad-hocs losing their jobs. “For making appointments the committee has suggested a breakup of 50% for academic record and research, 20% for assessment of domain knowledge, 10% for teaching skills and 20% for interview. This will adversely impact ad-hocs as their experience of years of teaching will not be of much significance,” said an academic council member on condition of anonymity.

Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) had in a meeting on Monday decided to oppose the move.