Duta ends admissions boycott

Delhi University teachers on Friday decided to end the admissions boycott, but will continue with the boycott of evaluation of first and second year undergraduate examinations.

The decision was taken at the Duta general body meeting following concerns about the future of the students getting jeopardised. In addition, Duta has appealed to the university administration to separate the papers of the pre-FYUP (2012-2015) batch, so that they can be evaluated and the results can be declared on time.

“In the light of the overwhelming opinion expressed by a vast majority of staff associations regarding the boycott of admissions, the Duta executive decided to carry out more participative action programmes in place of the admission boycott. On all the days of admission, the staff associations will interact with parents and students to drive home the point that consistent attacks on public-funded educational institutions will soon destroy the few surviving universities like the Delhi University,” a Duta statement said.

“This comes after the 55 per cent budget cuts in the education sector. Now that they can’t pay for the teachers’ salaries, they have decided to bring this notification so that ad hoc teachers like me can be done away with,” said Mohammed Sabir.

The Duta has also written to newly-appointed HRD minister Prakash Javadekar, highlighting the shortage of faculty in the varsity. “Despite an increase in the seats due to reservations for OBC students since 2007 and the promise of additional posts to universities, over 4,500 posts in DU remain vacant with teachers working on ad hoc or guest lecturer basis,” the letter said.

The DU teachers have been boycotting evaluation of undergraduate exa-minations since May 24.