Higher education policy: DU teachers miffed

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar's speech on Saturday about the Centre's higher education policy teachers has elicited widespread resentment within the teaching community, especially from Delhi University teachers.

Deo Kumar, member of DU's Academic Council, said: "(Javadekar) categorically reiterated the commitment of the government to continue funding. However, he contradicted himself by speaking about the need to shift to loan-funding through Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA)."

"This will create division among the teaching fraternity as colleges professor are not supposed to do any research for their promotions and for performance, but university teacher must go with researches," added Kumar.

Kumar also talked the autonomy of institutions on what to teach and how, saying: "The UGC Draft Regulations are before us.It refers to institutional freedom from public accountability and regulation, freedom to offer self-financed courses and raise arbitrary fees, freedom to determine salaries and service conditions of teachers and staff. There is an added obligation to attract foreign faculty up to 20 per cent of the sanctioned strength. If this isn't Privatisation, then what is?"

"The Minister talked about the need to dissolve UGC. So who will give the primary funding? The NDTF (National Democratic Teachers' Front) here has conveniently shut its eyes to the fact that infrastructural funding needs to be included within routine funding in a 'going concern'," added Kumar.