People's Democracy

Discuss Issues Raised by Delhi University Teachers

The Left Parties – Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, All India Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party – have issued the following statement on November 29, 2012:

THE situation in Delhi University is a cause for serious concern. The vice chancellor and the University authorities have introduced a series of measures without proper discussions and consultations with the teaching and academic community.  The teachers have raised a range of objections to the introduction of the semester system for the undergraduate level, a four-year graduation along with the meta college and meta university system.  All these are being pushed through in undue haste. Statutory procedures and established democratic academic practices have been subverted.

These reforms are being pushed through, along with large-scale contractualisation of teachers. There have been no regular appointments made for 4,000 teaching posts and 5,000 non-teaching posts. 

The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA), which is the elected body of all the teachers, has been conducting a peaceful protest against these measures.  The vice chancellor and the university authorities have resorted to pay cuts and other coercive measures even when teachers have participated in protests on holidays.  This is patently illegal.  The DUTA has been conducting a relay hunger strike which has now completed 50 days. The vice chancellor has refused to recognise and talk to the DUTA leadership.

The decision taken by the university can adversely affect the thousands of students in the colleges affiliated to the university.  The university should not take the position that it will not discuss with the DUTA on all these matters.

Delhi University is a central government university.  The Left parties appeal to the minister for human resources development to immediately intervene and ensure that the issues raised by the DUTA are taken up for discussions by the university authorities.  There should be an immediate halt to the coercive steps such as pay cuts.