Delhi University teachers get work-from-home option amid coronavirus outbreak

“The teachers have the option to work from their homes,” the DU said. “The teachers may use this period to complete their pending research work and publish it. Libraries will also be closed for students until March 31.” The members, who had written the earlier letter, welcomed the move, but said it addressed their concerns in a selective way.

Delhi University said on Monday that teachers had the option of working from home as a precautionary measure to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

The move to allow teachers to work from home came a few days after some academic council members wrote to the vice chancellor, urging him to ensure the same.

Last week, the university had announced that classes were suspended till March 31.

“The teachers have the option to work from their homes,” the DU said. “The teachers may use this period to complete their pending research work and publish it. Libraries will also be closed for students until March 31.” The members, who had written the earlier letter, welcomed the move, but said it addressed their concerns in a selective way.

“The largest number of guest teachers have been appointed in the 2019-20 academic session,” they said. “The university must not overlook their interests.” They demanded that the university must devise a way to protect the salaries of hundreds of guest teachers employed across colleges, departments, among others.

The members also suggested extending the semester session by a fortnight to make up for the teaching time lost due to this temporary “cessation of regular classroom teaching”.