October 25, 2012

DUSU-DUTA-DUCKU: Joint Press Conference

Announcing JOINT PROTEST of DUSU, DUTA and DUCKU on Friday, October 26, 2012 accompanying the DUTA Indefinite Relay Hunger Strike The current VC of Delhi University, Prof. Dinesh Singh, has antagonized all sections of the University Fraternity by displaying open hostility against the democratically elected bodies of students, teachers and non-teaching employees. Instead of engaging in dialogue with the DUSU, DUTA and DUCKU, he has chosen to consistently attack the three organs and suppress protests by deploying authoritarian measures which smack of a fundamental disregard, on his part, of the sense of collectivity which comprises the University. Over the past year, we have come to see how this anti-democratic demeanor of the VC is closely linked to the general direction in which he is desperate to push the University. His agenda, derived from the Governments neoliberal policy initiatives, consists of a complete overhaul of the structure and content of academic programmes leading to commercialization and commodification of Higher Education. It is well known that 4000 teaching posts and 5000 non-teaching posts are lying vacant in the University. The VC has shown a complete lack of will to redress this significant problem due to which, the students are ultimately made to suffer. On the contrary, he has been content to force colleges and University departments to function with the help of ad-hoc teachers and contractual staff who are denied employee rights, service benefits and even the minimum security and dignity. He has refused to implement the 2006 UGC Guidelines on constitutional obligation of Reservations in teaching positions. The service benefits of the non-teaching staff, duly approved by the DU/ UGC/ MHRD and in force since 1998, have been summarily withdrawn by the present VC, Prof. Dinesh Singh, without any justification. As a further affront to DUCKUs demands for regularization of jobs, efforts are being made to subcontract, to Reliance, the casual employment of non-teaching staff in the University Administration. While all these moves are creating a sense of despondency among teachers and karamcharis, even the students have not been spared. Major changes in the mode and conduct of examinations are being introduced by bypassing all statutory bodies. The confidentiality and secrecy of examinations has been abandoned as students would be required now to write down their name, Fathers and College names on the answer sheet and, thus, would be exposed to all kinds of prejudices. Students who may have missed the official deadlines for the submission of their examination fee are not even being allowed to register with late fee, as had been the rule till now. The Students have suddenly been informed that hereon, they will have to complete the studies for their degree in a stipulated period of time and no special chance will be given to any student. This decision is a brazen usurpation of the Academic Councils power. The list of statutory violations committed by the VC is long. But even when the meetings of the Academic Council and Executive Council have taken place, he has prevented the members from
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applying their minds collectively and sought to impose his own decisions without allowing proper discussion. The elected bodies of teachers, students and karamcharis are being continuously humiliated and kept in the dark about all decisions pertaining to the academic community. The VCs stand on the introduction of new courses and the four-year undergraduate structure remains non-negotiable and he has gone ahead, ignoring Academic Council, in constituting a Task Force to unilaterally implement his agenda. The VC led University Administration has been rendered dysfunctional. It is scandalous that many teachers and non-teaching employees who have retired after long years of service over the past year are not being given their retirement dues. Pensions are not being fixed while the officers plead helplessness. The DUTA, DUCKU and DUSU have been extremely exercised about this drastic turn in the Universitys fortunes since Prof. Dinesh Singh took over as ViceChancellor. Despite our continuous protests, the VC has not been amenable to any reason. We feel that the time has come to unite on common cause to defend the humanistic, democratic and academic character of the University by rallying together against the high-handedness and arrogance of the VC. A concerted struggle of the Students, Teachers and Karamchris is crucial to ensure that the University is not destroyed. Hence the DUTA, DUCKU and DUSU have come together to register a Joint Protest against the VCs intransigent will and authoritarian functioning. The Joint Protest will ensure a massive and historic participation of teachers, students and karamcharis to communicate the Unity of the University Fraternity and call national attention on the sordid state of affairs prevailing in the University. As a first step in this series of Action Programme, the DUSU, DUTA and DUCKU shall participate in a Joint Protest Demonstration/ March at/ from the DUTA indefinite Relay Hunger Strike site (outside the VC office, Gate No. 1) from 2:30 PM tomorrow, October 26, 2012.

Sd/Sd/(Arun Hooda) (S. D. Siddiqui) President, DUSU Secretary, DUTA

Sd/(Amar Deo Sharma) President, DUTA

Sd/(Raj Pal) President, DUCKU

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