All the four left parties — CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc — on Tuesday urged the HRD Ministry to withdraw the new gazette notification for amending the UGC Regulations, mainly meant to access the academic performance.
Maintaining the move would adversely affect the quality of education, the left parties in a statement said this move would create negative repercussions in the academic community.
“We perceive the withdrawal necessary in the interests of Quality of Teaching and Research as well as equity between various social groups and classes,” the parties said in a joint statement.
The statement said that tutorials had been excluded from the definition of “Direct Teaching” and the importance of practical in Science subjects had been devalued. “This will effectively increase the per-teacher workload in institutions and adversely impact on quality.
“It will also render thousands of teaching posts surplus and directly affect the livelihood and job-prospects of young academics and researchers….Educational institutions are not insulated from the prejudices and divisive attitudes that prevail in Society — based on gender, caste, sexuality and religious identity. linking Students-feedback to promotions of teachers may become yet another way of reinforcing prejudices rather than eradicating them,” said the joint statement.