DU gets court notice on Dalit admission
25 July 2012 6:55 AM IST
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Delhi University on a plea challenging the allegedly discriminatory policy adopted for admitting students from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST).
Justice G S Sistani issued notice to the university and asked it to file a reply by 11 October.
The petition filed by a group of five students and two organisations - Innovative Institute for Development And Education of All and Balmiki Mohalla Sudhar Samiti -alleged that the admission procedure adopted by the university was ‘highly discriminatory’.
They alleged that the information bulletin for dalit candidates was improper and of poor quality as compared to the kit for the general category students.
‘While a 70-page information bulletin, printed in colour with a personal message from the vice-chancellor and with information like the last year’s cutoff marks, information about grievance and placement cell and a city map indicating the colleges’ location, was given to the general candidates, the SC/ST candidates were given a shoddily printed eight-page bulletin without the necessary information,’ alleged a petitioner.
‘The general category candidates could register using the online facility from anywhere in India, SC/ST candidates had to come physically to Delhi with all their original certificates to even obtain the registration form,’ the petition said. The petitioners alleged that while a general category candidate could register for all or any of the courses and colleges, an SC/ST candidate had a limit of 30 choices.
Making an informed choice at the time of registration was impossible for dalit candidates who were not even provided with the required information, it added.
AD-HOC DU TEACHERS PROTEST AGAINST AUTHORITIES
More than 500 Delhi University teachers participated in a dharna organised by the Academics for Action and Devlopment (AAD) in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s office to highlight the plight of and temporary teachers, on Wednesday.
Narayana Mishra, Chairperson of AAD, said, ‘Nearly 40 per cent of the total teaching strength of 9,000 teachers is working on ad-hoc and temporary capacity in India’s premier university.’
Demands of the protesters were, ensuring salary during vacation, restoring the process of regular appointments, giving weightage to ad-hoc or temporary teachers in permanent appointment, reservation policy for SCs, STs, OBCs, and persons with disabilities. AAD demanded compliance in matters regarding clearance of the backlog of all reserved vacancies through special recruitment drive.
‘Due care must be taken to ensure correct assessment of the backlog vacancies and maintenance of rosters as per instructions contained and restoration of advance increments to ad-hoc teachers, having M.Phil/Ph.D, exemption from NET for ad-hoc appointment in certain subjects such as Computer Science, Economics, English and so on,’ one of the protestors said.
AAD also requested the V-C to extend the benefits such as medical and maternity leave to ad-hoc and temporary teachers.
Mishra added, ‘After the dharna, a delegation of AAD also submitted a memorandum in the V-C office, where pro-VC, director south campus and Dean of Colleges were also present.’
‘They categorically assured the delegation that the university is going to start the process of permanent appointment without any delay. Due weightage will be given to teaching experience at the time of selection. The delegation was also assured by the PV-C that reservation policy will be implemented in letter and spirit. They also said that victimisation of ad-hoc teachers in terms of denial of vacation salary will be firmly dealt with once the cases are brought to their notice,’ he said.
Justice G S Sistani issued notice to the university and asked it to file a reply by 11 October.
The petition filed by a group of five students and two organisations - Innovative Institute for Development And Education of All and Balmiki Mohalla Sudhar Samiti -alleged that the admission procedure adopted by the university was ‘highly discriminatory’.
They alleged that the information bulletin for dalit candidates was improper and of poor quality as compared to the kit for the general category students.
‘While a 70-page information bulletin, printed in colour with a personal message from the vice-chancellor and with information like the last year’s cutoff marks, information about grievance and placement cell and a city map indicating the colleges’ location, was given to the general candidates, the SC/ST candidates were given a shoddily printed eight-page bulletin without the necessary information,’ alleged a petitioner.
‘The general category candidates could register using the online facility from anywhere in India, SC/ST candidates had to come physically to Delhi with all their original certificates to even obtain the registration form,’ the petition said. The petitioners alleged that while a general category candidate could register for all or any of the courses and colleges, an SC/ST candidate had a limit of 30 choices.
Making an informed choice at the time of registration was impossible for dalit candidates who were not even provided with the required information, it added.
AD-HOC DU TEACHERS PROTEST AGAINST AUTHORITIES
More than 500 Delhi University teachers participated in a dharna organised by the Academics for Action and Devlopment (AAD) in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s office to highlight the plight of and temporary teachers, on Wednesday.
Narayana Mishra, Chairperson of AAD, said, ‘Nearly 40 per cent of the total teaching strength of 9,000 teachers is working on ad-hoc and temporary capacity in India’s premier university.’
Demands of the protesters were, ensuring salary during vacation, restoring the process of regular appointments, giving weightage to ad-hoc or temporary teachers in permanent appointment, reservation policy for SCs, STs, OBCs, and persons with disabilities. AAD demanded compliance in matters regarding clearance of the backlog of all reserved vacancies through special recruitment drive.
‘Due care must be taken to ensure correct assessment of the backlog vacancies and maintenance of rosters as per instructions contained and restoration of advance increments to ad-hoc teachers, having M.Phil/Ph.D, exemption from NET for ad-hoc appointment in certain subjects such as Computer Science, Economics, English and so on,’ one of the protestors said.
AAD also requested the V-C to extend the benefits such as medical and maternity leave to ad-hoc and temporary teachers.
Mishra added, ‘After the dharna, a delegation of AAD also submitted a memorandum in the V-C office, where pro-VC, director south campus and Dean of Colleges were also present.’
‘They categorically assured the delegation that the university is going to start the process of permanent appointment without any delay. Due weightage will be given to teaching experience at the time of selection. The delegation was also assured by the PV-C that reservation policy will be implemented in letter and spirit. They also said that victimisation of ad-hoc teachers in terms of denial of vacation salary will be firmly dealt with once the cases are brought to their notice,’ he said.
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