State of the University
When teachers vote on 25th August, 2011 for electing the DUTA leadership for the next two years, it will be desirable that they ponder over the state of our Delhi University, and its colleges, today. There is an utter unmitigated chaos prevailing at all levels of administration, all democratic norms of lawful decision making are being ignored without any resistance, academic norms are being violated in the name of hurried implementation of the semester system, the university statute book (its statutes ordinances and regulations) have lost all meaning and the decisions are being dictated from above, students and teachers are confused on the contents of the illogically assembled semester based courses of study (in certain cases there are multiple drafts of the syllabus circulating will no one to
clarify as to which one is the correct draft), 54% OBC expansion has taken place without appropriate addition to the infrastructure resulting into space crunch in the classrooms and laboratories, admission norms-dictated from the ministerial and university authorities are darkening the future of thousands of deserving students, even though the new pay package is effective form 01-01-06 the administration has failed to frame ordinances relating to promotions and placements, there is an anomalies galore prevailing on the issues of
‘pay, placement and promotion’, the points gathering system under the quantified PBAS & API regime is making all young teachers apprehensive about their future prospects, uncertainties and confusions are staring into the collective face of ad hoc teachers.....
Desired DUTA Leadership
In such a situation it is imperative that we have a DUTA leadership which is capable of rising above narrow partisan considerations for uniting all sections of teachers (after all there is only one DUTA). Also the vision of the DUTA leadership should be geared towards inclusive and comprehensive development. The leadership should be capable of simultaneously pursuing all issues: pay scales and promotions; service conditions; provision of academic and research facilities; preservation and strengthening of democratic norms and the university statutes, ordinances, etc in the decision making processes; reestablishing
the prestige of the University Court, the Executive Council and the Academic Council; provision of appropriate infrastructure (classrooms, laboratories tutorial rooms, departmental / individual rooms for academic/research work, internet/research/books/journals allowance) to all teachers; rationalization of admission processes, etc.
HRDM’s Offensive
Friend, we have noticed that the Central Government, more particularly the H R D Ministry and the Minister Kapil Sibal, has launched a sustained offensive against the university system. After irreversibly mauling the edifice of the school education system, the HRD Ministry is now aiming its destructive attention on our university systems, With bills like ‘Foreign Educational Institutions Bill’, ‘Educational Tribunal Bill’ & ‘National Accreditation Regulatory Authority Bill’ the autonomy of the university would vanish totally. Market forces shall rule the academic processes in higher education domain. The forced implementations
of the semester system, despite its glaring defects, is the trailer of the future scenario.
DUTA’s Duty
It is the duty of the collective body of teachers to honestly and persistently oppose the offensive jointly launched by the UPA Government, the HRDM and the university team. The beginning of such a united struggle was reflected in the initial few months of the ‘semester’ struggle. But after the November 2010 order of the Delhi High Court on semester related PIL, both the unity and the struggle completely collapsed. The AAD/Congress leadership of the DUTA abandoned all will to fight on the semester issue except through legal presentations in the court. The DTF-Left broke the united struggle by floating JAB which intervened in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court with disastrous results. The collapse of the semester struggle has emboldened the university and the MHRD authorities to ride roughshod over all decision making processes in the university. The
manner in which the incumbent VC has implemented the semester courses in all the faculties and departments at the UG level has surpassed the authoritarianism even of the outgoing VC, Deepak Pental. The HRD Minister and the UPA Government are obviously behind all these moves to destroy the autonomy of our university system. The trouble is that the AAD-Congress leadership of the DUTA has now completely surrendered to the Vice Chancellor Proof, Dinesh Singh and is functioning ‘at his pleasure’. The DTF leadership is in collusion with many factions of INTEC-Congress (for electoral and other gains) and indulges only in theatrical and rhetorical militancy. One or two examples would prove
that both groups are hand in gloves with the university and governmental authorities. Both AAD and DTF have one elected teacher member teach in the D.U. Executive Council. Yet neither of them lodged any formal protest when the E.C. raised the WUS membership fee to Rs. 500 per month and renewal (for retiring/retired teachers) fee to whooping Rs.60,000. And that too retrospectively!! Again when the concept of ‘contractual’ teachers to be
appointed against teachers availing of child care leave was mooted by the UGC, no protest was raised. Full time ad hoc / regular leave vacancy appointments should be made against CCL posts. Once the concept of contractual appointments is accepted, this ‘contractual’ malaise will spread in all other domains of appointments. And this is what the MHRD wants!
The need of the hour is to unite and launch a united, protracted struggle against the massive assault launched by MHRD- University team combine. Though we are contesting elections on different platforms, but we should remember that there is only one DUTA and that once the elections are over all of us have to struggle together under a common banner. The DTF claims that they are the monopoly holders on all forms of struggles. History has proven them wrong. The AAD claims that their proximity to the government and the university bosses will bring the desired results. Nothing could be more wrong and ridiculous. What
would yield result is one constant and united struggle. The NDTF assures you to launch such a struggle.
SOME ISSUES
No group has any exclusive issues, all groups have common issues. The NDTF will pursue all the issues, all the demands, accepted by the General Body of the DUTA. Of course the issues have to be prioritized but all issues have to be pursued.
Ordinances on Promotions / Placements, etc. : The thrust of the PBAS-API scheme, sought to be enforced by the UGC-MHRD, is to deny rather than grant promotions. The University AC-EC should frame ordinances so as to eliminate the negative rigor of the PBAS-API scheme. The self appraisal system should replace the points system.
Removal of Anomalies The new pay package has created a huge number of anomalies. Some seniors are forced into a lesser point Vis a Vis some their juniors. Some professors have been placed at lesser pay point compared to their colleagues. All professors must be placed at Rs.43, 000 (min.) w.e.f. 1.1.2006. Similarly all senior lecturers, whether promoted before or after 1.1.2006, should be placed at Rs.18, 600 + Rs. 7000 AGP. Appointments of assistant professors directly at the AGP of Rs.7000 / 8000 have downgraded some of the senior Asstt. Professors in term of AGP. This must be rectified.
No Quota System at any stage of promotion to Professorship.
CPF to GPF. Those teachers who did not opt to remain in the CPF before 30-09-1987 should be deemed to be in the GPF scheme (in consonance with the GOI order on CPF/GPF of 1st May 1987). Others must be allowed to switch over from the CPF to the GPF scheme.
Parity of Librarians: with teachers in all respects. This issue should be settled by the University EC & AC all times to come.
Ad hoc teachers: exploitations and uncertainties faced by ad hoc teachers should end. 54% increase under the OBC expansion has created more posts but the authorities are not filling them. Besides, the implementation of the semester courses, coupled with rumors of ban on regular appointments for the next 3 years have made ad hoc teachers very nervous and vulnerable. All posts should be filled appropriately during the next 6 months.
Cap on PF Interest: The 8% cap on the interest on PF enforced by the university on its employees & teachers, and some of its colleges, must be scrapped. The principle of distributing the entire interest earned, with minor adjustments, to the subscribers must be strictly adhered to.
Improvements in the Health Care Medical Schemes and Housing facilities.
Uniform upward revision of for taking guest lecturers at the SOL, NCWB, Colleges without differentiation.
Some principals of colleges (viz. RLA, Dayal Singh, and Kalindi) are on path of destroying their institutions. They play tricks to deny the rights to teachers and deviate the focus from teaching-learning process. The university should take appropriate actions against such principals.
There is an urgent need for providing the desired infrastructure and facilities for differently-abled teachers & students.
The long standing demand of science teachers from colleges for providing them with research facilities and allowing them to guide Ph.D student must be addressed immediately.
In some colleges like A.N.D. and Dyal Singh, ad hoc teachers are forced to sign the attendance register. This must stop immediately.
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