JOIN USDUTA to intensify movement
The Delhi University Teachers’ Association, which is on indefinite relay hunger strike, has decided to intensify its protest. A committee has been set up to look into the matter in Sunday's DUTA meeting. Their strike will complete 50 days in the next few days.
“Teachers from various parties are showing solidarity. All are unhappy with the working of the administration. They are baffled at the suppressive manner which the administration is behaving,” said Abha Dev Habib, DUTA member.
Members said teachers affiliated to different parties supported issues of ad hoc with around 4,000 teaching posts lying vacant, regulations and provisions set up by the University Grants Commission regarding filling of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe posts of teachers, promotions, the various academic changes taking place in the University ‘in a hurried manner’ apart from others.
The measures to be taken to intensify the movement will be announced on November 30 at the general body meeting.
DUTA wants to have a dialogue with the vice chancellor, who has not met the agitating teachers formally yet.
The meeting demanded that the ‘special chance’ which is to allow students to finish their degree after the stipulated six-year period should not be limited only to students who went to the court.
“There are many students from School of Open Learning (SOL) who could not finish their studies within the stipulated time. The problem now is that despite getting court’s order that students should be given the special chance, the administration is saying that only those 33 students who went to court regarding this will be given the chance,” said Habib. The majority of SOL students cannot afford to seek legal help, he added.
The members of Academic Council, which had the standing committee to look into special chance cases was recently being dissolved, will send a written representation asking the authorities to give the special chance to all students who applied for it instead of restricting it to just the petitioners.
Indifferent authorities
“It is strange that the while the teachers are spending their night after night outside in the cold weather, the VC, who is supposedly our head doesn’t care,” said an ad hoc teacher of Hindu College.
“Salaries of teachers are being cut despite using their casual leaves to sit for the strike, students are unhappy, the examination branch is under tremendous pressure, the non-teaching staff is over burdened and the administration is acting blind and deaf,” the teacher further added.