DUTA to hold joint protest against V-C

Two weeks after the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) began an indefinite relay hunger strike, the body has now called for a joint protest on Friday to highlight the issues regarding the university that concern them.

Two weeks after the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) began an indefinite relay hunger strike, the body has now called for a joint protest on Friday to highlight the issues regarding the university that concern them.

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"DUTA has announced a megajoint protest of students, teachers and karamcharis to raise a united voice of dissent against the government's interference in policy decisions, its attack on the university's autonomy, as well as the vice chancellor's adamant and arrogant move to dismantle the university's democratic structures, scuttle the teachers' movement and push the entire university fraternity into utter despondency through his ham-handed pseudo-reforms in academic structure, content and examinations," a statement issued by the president of DUTA, Amar Deo Sharma, said.

According to DUTA members, the main reason behind the strike is the manner in which policy decisions that impact the university are being taken without any consultation with them.

The teachers have also been raising their voice against what they call the vice-chancellor's deliberate attempts to overstep his brief and impose coercive modes of governance within the university. Another reason behind the strike is the issue of 4,000 teaching posts lying vacant and the treatment meted out to the ad-hoc teachers.

According to DUTA members, representatives from teachers' associations of all Delhi-based Central Universities, the FEDCUTA and Aligarh Muslim University Teachers' Association are also expected to join the protest.