Delhi University Academics Protest UGC’s Withdrawal of PhD Increments, Write to Education Minister

They have urged the Education Minister to direct UGC to withdraw the controversial letter and ensure that teachers continue receiving due increments for their academic qualifications.

Academic and Executive Council members of Delhi University, along with representatives from the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), have written to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan protesting the UGC’s decision to withdraw non-compounded advance increments for PhD, MPhil, LLM, and other higher qualifications.

In their letter, the academics argue that the UGC’s directive, issued on February 10, 2025, contradicts the UGC’s 2018 Regulations, which clearly allow advance increments for teachers holding such degrees. They emphasized that a mere directive from the UGC cannot override gazetted regulations, and removing these increments would be unfair to faculty members and detrimental to academic excellence.

Concerns Raised by Academics

The protesting academics stressed that: Higher qualifications enhance teaching quality and should be incentivized, not discouraged.

The academics have demanded that the Ministry of Education must intervene to prevent the implementation of this directive, which they termed "draconian". The UGC must ensure that the withdrawal of increments is not applied retrospectively, as it would negatively impact faculty members who earned these qualifications under existing regulations.

Teachers deserve respect, fair service conditions, and incentives for academic excellence, rather than policies that undermine their professional growth.

Call for Urgent Action

They have urged the Education Minister to direct UGC to withdraw the controversial letter and ensure that teachers continue receiving due increments for their academic qualifications.

The issue has sparked widespread concern in academic circles, with faculty members across Central Universities calling for a reconsideration of the decision.

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