DU teachers start 4-day protest in colleges

Members of Delhi University Teachers’ Association began their four-day-long protest on Tuesday against several pending issues in the university.

Issues raised by DUTA members include 4,000 vacancies in teaching positions, delay in promotions, inflated marks in recent semester results, delay in giving pensions to teachers and the DU vice chancellor’s refusal to start a dialogue with DUTA members.

“We went to colleges in North Campus. Many students joined us. We also distributed pamphlets to highlight several issues related to university. The students were shocked when we informed them about the marks scam,” said a senior DUTA member.

“We showed them the results of various subjects that were given inflated marks,” he  said.

Problems with VC
They also countered the VC’s version on a meeting between him and DUTA members.
“He has been telling the media that he is ready to meet DUTA members.
“He told the media that there are at least 100 members in DUTA, when in fact we have only 50 office-bearers,” said Abha Dev Habib, DUTA member and professor of physics in Miranda House.

“After pressure from teachers, he has finally agreed to meet teachers of different courses.

“But he still selects whom to meet. We fear that he will bypass our demands and not meet us as he has already spoken to a select teachers,” said Habib.

Meta-university issue
The other issue that DUTA highlighted was the vice chancellor’s announcement of starting a meta-university, which will have a four-year graduation period.

This will decrease the number of teaching posts.

“He told teachers that the meta-university will be introduced and the number of teaching posts will be reduced,” said Habib.

DUTA will also hold protests at colleges in South Campus and other parts of the Capital till Friday.

“We will gather at Jantar Mantar on February 16. We will protest against human resource development minister Kapil Sibal on the pending Bills on higher education and for passing other damaging reforms without consulting teachers,” said Delhi University Teachers’ Association president Amar Deo Sharma.