Deputy CM Sisodia meets DU's acting V-C amid DUTA protests

New Delhi: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday met with Delhi University's acting Vice-Chancellor PC Joshi amid widespread protests by the varsity's teachers' association against the Delhi government, over grants-in-aid pending to 12 colleges fully funded by the state government.

The meeting was to discuss the resolution of pending issues and collaboration for quality education. Attendees in the meeting termed it as "fruitful", a senior government official said.

There was some "unnecessary miscommunication" between the Delhi government and the DU, senior official Atishi said. The 12 DU colleges and the government have been at loggerheads with certain financial issues that are still pending in court.

"The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss a way forward to work together," Atishi told Millennium Post.

DU has several vacant plots of land which it wants to be utilised meanwhile the government wants to open new colleges. In the meeting, this was a matter that was discussed and another meeting has been scheduled for next month after working on specific proposals.

The Delhi Government has programmes which it wants to work in collaboration with DU," Atishi said. The programme on running family business encouraging students and families to take it up, she explained.

"Had a fruitful meeting with the Vice-Chancellor of @UnivofDelhi, to resolve all pending issues, and to plan how Delhi Govt and @UnivofDelhi can collaborate to provide innovative and high-quality Higher Education to the students of Delhi," the Deputy CM wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, after the meeting, the Delhi government withdrew a previous order, appointing 12 officials to work as AOs in 12 of the colleges that were having financial troubles, which the DUTA has called a "small win".

"The University exercises control over departments/colleges with different parameters laid down in the University Act, Statues and Ordinances of the University and in Consonance with the provisions passed by the Academic Council/Executive Council of the University from time to time," the circular that reached the university on Wednesday stated.

However, the deficit of not being released by the Delhi government still remains to which DUTA said it will continue its protest.

(With inputs from Nikita Jain)