Student groups against varsity 'plan' to sack DUTA prez

Several student groups on Thursday came out in solidarity with the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president Nandita Narain, who recently alleged that DU is planning to “derecognise” her as a teacher of St Stephen’s College. 

The varsity had forwarded complaints from some DU-affiliated colleges and the School of Open Learning, which said that Narain tried to interfere in their functioning. But St Stephen’s College had told the varsity authority that is upon them to initiate disciplinary action. 

“We, the undersigned organisations, condemn these sinister designs in unequivocal terms. It’s clear that the DUTA president is being targeted for the role that she played in the joint student-teacher movement against the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), against the malpractices and corruption of the current DU administration and Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh, as well as the role that she is playing in intensifying the ongoing movement against the new round of academic reforms,” a joint statement issued by eight student organisations said. 

The DUTA president’s supporters include groups like All India Students’ Association, All India Students’ Federation, Disha Students’ Organisation, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, All India Democratic Students’ Organisation, North East Forum for International Solidarity, Parivartankami Chhatra Sangathan and Students’ Federation of India.