SRCC teachers protest over leave rules
Teachers at the Shri Ram College of Commerce staged a protest on the campus on Thursday, allegedly over a dispute regarding rules for leaves, according to a statement by the staff association.
The SRCC admin did not respond to the query immediately.
Dr Saurabh Gupta, Joint Secretary of the SRCC Staff Association, said that since December 2025, the administration had been rejecting leave applications by routinely invoking the centenary as a blanket justification.
"Celebrating a centenary cannot override statutory employee rights," he said.
According to the statement, the immediate flashpoint was the denial of Child Care Leave (CCL) to four faculty members. It stated that CCL is a statutory entitlement for government employees, but the college administration rejected the applications, citing SRCC's ongoing centenary celebrations and arguing that faculty should not take leave during the anniversary year.
The statement read that beyond CCL, faculty members flagged deeper anxieties about recent administrative decisions affecting service conditions. One major concern is the formation of a Leave Advisory Committee by the college's governing body, it read.
The Staff Association argues that the committee is non-statutory, has no elected teacher representatives, and includes external university members. The statement said that earlier, leave matters were handled internally or through recognised bodies. The teachers said that any such change requires approval at the ordinance level.
Teachers have also objected to what they describe as a sudden tightening of medical leave rules. According to the association, faculty are now being asked to submit medical and fitness certificates even for a single day of sick leave, a practice, they say, never existed at SRCC.
This practice disproportionately affects female staff dealing with routine health issues, the statement read.
The statement added that after repeated leave applications, negotiations and a council meeting failed to resolve the matter, the SRCC Staff Association held a symbolic rally on campus from 9.30 am to 10.30 am.
Office-bearers, including president Dr Amarjeet Singh, vice president Dr Kapil Dev Yadav, secretary Dr Palak Kanojia and joint secretary Dr Gupta, participated.
The Delhi University Teachers' Association also stepped in, with its secretary visiting the campus to mediate, the statement read.
