Delhi University adopts UGC amendments; teachers say it can lead to job loss

New Delhi: Delhi University on Tuesday adopted recent University Grants Commission’s amendments, which teachers claim could lead to around 4,000 temporary teachers losing their jobs due to changed workload. [caption id=“attachment_3131336” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] DU’s academic council on Tuesday met to discuss 3rd and 4th amendment of UGC and recommendations of a vice-chancellor appointed committee on the issue of appointments and promotion of teachers in colleges and departments, amid protests from teachers. The agenda was to “consider a proposal to adopt the gazette notifications issued by University Grants Commission (UGC) on 4th May 2016 (3rd Amendment) and July 11, 2016 (4th Amendment) regarding minimum qualification for appointment of teachers and other academic staff”. DU Registrar Tarun Das released a statement late night and said, “Today the AC deliberated upon the issue of 3rd and 4th amendments of the UGC Regulation in all its ramifications and adopted the same amendments in principle.” Teachers, however, claimed that the decision has been deferred and their demand to expand the committee was accepted. “The existing committee is not representative as there are no elected teacher members. The committee will be expanded and will give its recommendations,” said Nachiketa Singh, an academic council member. The university statement said the expanded committee will look into the operational aspects in context of DU and its colleges. Teachers had earlier this year boycotted the evaluation process against the UGC guidelines on their service conditions. The protest was also against the Academic Performance Indicator (API)—the point system which determines their promotion levels. Teachers claim the UGC notification makes the API stringent. In May, the Delhi University vice chancellor had appointed a three-member committee to look into the issue of appointments.