Delhi University Teacher's Association seeks Kejriwal's support for resolution of roster issue, regularisation of teachers

The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) wrote a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking his support for resolution of roster issue and regularisation of teachers in the university, on Wednesday. The DUTA said that the central government has displayed cynical apathy towards the plight of talent joining the teaching profession and standards of higher education.

In July, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had put on hold the appointment of academic staff in higher education institutions (HEI) till the Supreme Court issued its verdict on a special leave petition filed by the Human Resource Development Ministry against a court order curtailing reservation for SC, ST and OBCs. The UGC had announced in March that an individual department should be considered as the base unit to calculate the number of teaching posts to be reserved for Schedule Caste (SC) and Schedule Tribe (ST) candidates following an order by the Allahabad High Court in April last year.

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The DUTA said the Centre has responded neither to their plea to bring in a legally sound provision for regularisation or absorption of temporary and ad hoc teachers nor to bring about a resolution to the issue of the reservation roster through an Ordinance.  It seems to be content with indefinite stoppage of appointment processes across universities or appointment on the basis of a roster that, by its own admission, is unjust, it added.

“We appreciate the initiative taken by the Governing Bodies of Delhi Government colleges under Delhi University for regularisation or absorption of temporary and ad hoc teachers. Thousands of teachers in colleges of Delhi University have been working on ad hoc basis for past several years as the posts have been kept vacant,” the letter said as quoted by news agency PTI.

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The teachers’ body appealed to Kejriwal to take further the initiative of regularisation or absorption of teachers. It will help to build pressure on the central government to bring about a legally sound procedure for it, it said.

The DUTA said it has approached all political parties so that these issues get resolved in the Winter Session of Parliament and permanent vacancies in the Delhi University can be filled up soon.