DUTA Raises Concerns Over UGC's Biannual Admission Plan and Other Issues

DUTA requested UGC’s intervention to regularize teachers and fill vacant positions in the twelve Delhi Government-funded colleges, and also proposed the takeover of all DU colleges

The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) has sent a letter to Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, expressing strong reservations regarding the UGC's recent decision to allow Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to admit students twice a year, starting from the next academic year.

Concerns Over Biannual Admissions

DUTA has highlighted significant concerns about the UGC reform notified on 19th June 2024, citing a lack of physical infrastructure, and insufficient teaching and non-teaching staff in Delhi University (DU) and its colleges. They emphasized that despite the 25% increase in seats due to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) expansion, DU has not received the necessary financial assistance to upgrade infrastructure and create additional teaching positions.

Additional Demands

In their comprehensive letter, DUTA thanked the UGC for amending the 2018 regulations, which now allow teachers to choose between the 2018 or 2010 regulations for promotions until 31st December 2024. However, they also raised several long-standing demands:

Sanctioning Additional Teaching Positions: DUTA urged immediate sanction of teaching positions in response to the EWS expansion.

Fourth Year of FYUP: Highlighting the need for additional infrastructure and teaching staff, DUTA called for UGC to sanction necessary grants and positions for the fourth year of the Four-Year Undergraduate Program (FYUP) as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) implementation.

Delhi Govt Funded Colleges: DUTA requested UGC’s intervention to regularize teachers and fill vacant positions in the twelve Delhi Government-funded colleges, and also proposed the takeover of all DU colleges by the Government of NCT.

Implementation of Reservation Policy: They demanded adherence to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) guidelines on filling teaching positions, especially concerning backlog positions.

Promotion of Associate Professors to Professors: DUTA requested a one-time relaxation for Associate Professors with over three years of experience to be promoted to Professors, even if they do not meet the Ph.D. requirement.

Physical Education Teachers: They asked for physical education teachers, who have been serving as regular faculty, to retire at the same age as other discipline teachers.

Librarian Parity: DUTA called for parity in retirement age and promotions for librarians, given their similar educational qualifications to teachers.

Promotion Scheme for Academic Staff: They advocated for promotion schemes for OMSP instructors, computer programmers, and other academic staff, aligning them with teacher promotion standards.

Counting of Past Service: DUTA requested that all relevant past service be counted for promotions and direct recruitment up to Associate Professor level.

Salary Revision: A revision of the salary matrix for level 12 was also suggested.

Restoration of Old Pension Scheme: They pushed for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for teachers across colleges and universities.

Implementation of NEP 2020: Emphasizing the need for adequate resources, DUTA argued that academic reforms under NEP 2020 require proper funding and autonomy for universities in curriculum decisions.

Prof. A K Bhagi, President of the association in the letter mentions: “DUTA hopes for an early resolution of these issues, emphasizing the urgent need for addressing infrastructure and staffing inadequacies to ensure quality education and support for faculty.”