Delhi University must talk to teachers: Left

Describing the situation as a cause for "serious concern, the four Left parties accused the vice chancellor and the university of introducing measures without proper discussions and consultations with the teaching and academic community.

"The teachers have raised a range of objections to the introduction of the semester system for the undergraduate level, a four�'year graduation along with the meta college and meta university system," a statement said.

"All these are being pushed through in undue haste. Statutory procedures and established democratic academic practices have been subverted."

The statement was issued by the Communist Party of India�'Marxist, Communist Party of India, Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party.

These reforms are being pushed through along with largescale contractualisation of teachers, the statement said.

"There have been no regular appointments made for 4,000 teaching posts and 5,000 non�'teaching posts...

"The vice chancellor and the university authorities have resorted to pay cuts and other coercive measures even when teachers have participated in protests on holidays. This is patently illegal."

The statement accused the vice chancellor of refusing to recognize and talk to the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) leadership.

"Delhi University is a central government university. The Left parties appeal to the minister for human resources development to immediately intervene and ensure that the issues raised by the DUTA are taken up for discussions by the university authorities.

"There should be an immediate halt to the coercive steps such as pay cuts."