After thousands of teachers protested for not including the draft of Ordinances arising out of the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations 2018, the University of Delhi has postponed the Academic council (AC) meeting for a week which was scheduled to be held on 12th December. As per the regulations, the Ordinances were meant for the recruitment and promotion of teachers.
Hundreds of Delhi University (DU) teachers on Friday had staged a protest at the Arts Faculty as well as the members of Academic Council has also submitted a memorandum to the Vice Chancellor as the draft of ordinances arising out of the UGC regulations 2018 meant for the recruitment and promotion of teachers has been expelled from the agenda items.
The agitating teachers now are a little relaxed and are expecting that the regulations will be added in the agenda items of the upcoming AC meeting. Though there are some teachers who are angry with the DU’s ‘carelessness’.
“The fight of hundreds of teachers has borne fruits as thousands of teachers are suffering for the past ten years due to their pending promotions. Moreover even after the apex Authorities order, the varsity has not included the ordinance.
Though the meeting has been again delayed but now everyone is expecting that the agendas will be added to the items for the decision. If the DU will not implement the regulations as said by the UGC, the careers of thousands of teachers will be ruined,” said Pankaj Garg, an AC member.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) in July had asked the universities across the country to implement the ordinances within six months. The UGC Regulations 2018 have 20 regulations including the eligibility criteria and promotion of teachers. Following the regulations, the University of Delhi has constituted a committee consisting 20 members under the chairmanship of Professor DK Singh on 28th to study and formulate the amendments.
As per the members of AC, presently there are 4000 teachers belonging to various colleges of DU whose promotion is pending since the last ten years. Further, there are around 11,000 teachers working on adhoc basis.
The AC meeting was being held after almost 18 months and now it has been postponed. Such arbitrary postponement of AC meeting has further aggravated the dismal condition of the teachers, who have been suffering for long owing to prolonged adhocism, not taking up absorption issue, not counting of adhoc experiences of promotions, asking for points from the back date, no pensionery benefits and not implementing UGC regulations 2018,” said Rajesh Jha, member of Academic for Action and Academic Development (AAD).
In a setback to the women faculty members and staff members of Delhi University has de-recommended the maternity leave for female adhoc teachers even after the University Grants Commission (UGC) asked the varsities to make provisions of maternity leave for contractual employees. Currently, there are more than 2500 female ad-hoc teachers working in various colleges of Delhi University (DU).
In September 2018, UGC wrote to all the varsities situated across the country to make provisions of maternity leave for contractual employees. A teacher on ad-hoc basis is appointed for four months against a vacant post. As per recommendations an ad hoc teacher may go on maternity leave for rest of the period of four months from the date she is availing her maternity leave. During this period the College can appoint guest lecturers only so that the female ad hoc teacher who has gone leave can join college after the completion of her maternity leave.
“There is no provision of maternity leave for ad hoc teachers at present and most of the time they are forced to join college after delivery within 2 days due to non availability of maternity leave for ad hoc teacher under the fear of losing her job.
This provision after approval from AC and EC would lessen the hardships of female ad hoc teachers who would be in family way,” Pankaj Garg, Member committee and Member, Academic Council.