In a major relief to thousands of female ad-hoc teachers teaching at Delhi University (DU) and its colleges, a varsity committee has recommended grant of “maternity leave” to them.

The committee has recommended giving maximum 4 months of maternity leave to female ad-hoc teachers which will benefit nearly 2,500 female ad-hoc teachers at DU and its colleges. It is imperative to mention that female ad-hoc teachers of DU are not entitled to have maternity leave contrary to the permanent teachers who are authorised to avail 6 months of maternity leave with salary.

The DU had constituted a committee to look into the operational aspect of UGC regulation on minimum qualifications for appointment of teacher and other academic staff in Universities and Colleges and other measures for maintenance of standards in higher education, 2018. 

 “A teacher on ad-hoc basis is appointed for four months against a vacant post. As per the recommendations an ad-hoc teacher may go on maternity for rest of the period of 4 months from the date she is availing her maternity leave,” said Pankaj Garg, member of the committee.

Garg said that during this period the college can appoint guest lecturers in her place only for the period the female ad-hoc teacher is on maternity leave.

Other important decision of the committee pertains to the grant of Professorship in colleges. As per the recommendations of committee now colleges can have post of professors apart from having associate and assistant professors. As of now, there are no professors at the College level and they only serve at the faculties and departments at the university level.

Rasal Singh another member of the committee informed that the committee has decided that counting of past ad-hoc services would be included in promotion at the first stage. He said that pending cases of promotion would be cleared and nearly 3000 teachers whose promotion is pending since decades would be benefitted.

“Period of all kind of leaves i.e. maternity leave, child care leave, study leave and deputation period will be counted for promotions,” said Rasal Singh.