Teachers come out against DU proposal to adopt UGC norms for appointment of Teachers and academic staff

Updated on: Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Delhi University has been waiting for appointment of permanent teachers since 2007 and there are around 4,000 positions to be filled across colleges and departments.

Yet, with the university having announced its intent to adopt the University Grants Commission "regulation on minimum qualification for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges and measures for maintenance of standards in higher education", issued for gazette notification on June 14, teachers have come out against the proposal set to be tabled before the academic council on August 16 and the executive council on August 17, dubbing it as "anti-teacher".

They are claiming that the DU proposal is full of "lapses/omissions from UGC norms which will have far-reaching consequences on the recruitment and promotions of DU teachers".

Teachers fear that the August 16 AC meeting will bring about drastic changes in the UGC regulation. The agenda for the meeting has no mention of the selection committee for assistant professor though the experts are supposed to be recommended by this council.

The teachers are questioning how the registrar notified initiation of the appointment procedure two months ago ahead of receiving nod from the AC/EC. "The registrar's letter received two months ago talked about initiating the appointment process in colleges though it is yet to be ratified," president of Academics for Action and Development J Khuntia said.

Sources said the selection committee will be on the EC agenda on August 17. According to the UGC amendment, the college principal's post will be term post. This has been a long-awaited move. However, DU is not placing it on the AC and EC agenda. "This smacks of a design to concentrate decision-making and power in the hands of one person," said Khuntia.

Another move that has not gone down well is the proposal to not count the past service of ad hoc teachers during promotion (permanent). " As per the new proposal, a teacher will be deprived of these benefits which is against UGC norms," Shiba C Panda, a commerce teacher in Satyawati College (evening), said.

Teachers come out against DU proposal to adopt UGC norms for appointment of Teachers and academic staff

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