DUTA carries out candle march against UGC notification

The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) along with all the teachers groups linked to various political parties, on Monday carried out a candlelight vigil against the UGC notification outside the University Grants Commission’s building in Capital.  

However, the DU teachers were divided over the boycott of evaluation and admission process since May 24 in protest against the new UGC norms to ascertain their academic performance. Also, a section of teachers on Monday had opposed publicly on Facebook and Twitter to the move saying it may jeopardise career of students.

 “Delay in the result of first and second year students will also hamper the workload adjustments and calculations as this will be required to make a case for continuation of adhoc teachers. Teachers decided to give a call to other fellows to start participating in the admission and evaluation process,” statement from a group of 200 faculty members said.

“We express dismay and displeasure over the manner in which teachers’ strike is continuing without paying any heed to the difficulties that students and parents are facing due to the dissociation call of DUTA...an admission boycott call can in no way be justified,” a statement said.     

At the other hand, agitating teachers said: “We are cornered about the future of thousands of students therefore the evaluation boycott for the final year has been called off.”

The new gazette notification has increased the workload for assistant professors from 16 hours of “direct teaching” per week (including tutorials) to 18 hours, plus another six of tutorials, bringing the total up to 24 hours. Similarly the work hours of associate professors have been increased from 14 to 22.

Terming it to be an “unethical” mode of protest, students had urged the teachers to end the boycott fearing delay in results following which the faculty members had decided to end the boycott for final year students.