Delhi University teachers, who have been boycotting evaluation of undergraduate examinations for 18 days, today staged a protest at Jantar Mantar even as students approached the VC expressing concern over possible delay in their results.
The teachers have been boycotting evaluation of undergraduate examinations since May 24 in protest against amendments to UGC regulations that, they argue, will lead to job-cuts to the tune of 50 per cent and drastically decrease pupil-teacher ratio in higher education.
Calling it a "Satyagraha", the teachers staged an agitation at Jantar Mantar today demanding that the HRD ministry rolls back the new gazette notification about the criteria to ascertain their academic performance.
Meanwhile, a delegation of students led by ABVP members met Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi demanding resumption of evaluation work immediately to avoid any delay in results.
"This unethical mode of protest (evaluation boycott) that damages the future of thousands of students should immediately be shunned by the teachers and DU VC should also ensure that no injustice is done to the student community," an ABVP statement said.
"We strongly support the demands of the protesting teachers and demand that the Government resolve the issues at the earliest, we appeal to all teachers of DU not to play with the future of thousands of students and resume evaluation work immediately," it added.
The new gazette notification has increased the workload for assistant professors from 16 hours of "direct teaching" per week (including tutorials) to 18 hours, plus another six of tutorials, bringing the total up to 24 hours. Similarly the work hours of associate professors have been increased from 14 to 22.
Following protests, the HRD ministry had directed UGC to review the same. The commission had yesterday organised consultations on the issue with various stake holders including representatives of teachers associations from across the country.
The protesting teachers had, however, claimed that the consultations did not yield any results.
DU's dean of examination had last week requested the teachers to resume evaluation work from tomorrow.
In a letter to the teachers Vinay Gupta, dean of examination, stated that nearly two weeks of evaluation work has been delayed and "any further delay can jeopardise the career of students and also adversely affect the reputation of the university".
The teachers plan to continue with the boycott till June 16 following which the General Body of DU Teachers Association (DUTA) will decide future course of action.
