The teaches of Delhi University have called for a strike demanding the immediate renewal of contract of 12 ad hoc teachers whose term was not extended. These teachers' contracts were asked to discontinue last week due to 'reduced workload'. They were working at the Vivekananda College. Reportedly five of them have tested COVID positive.
The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) called for a strike on May 27 and also organised an online protest calling the step arbitrary and asking the Acting Principal to step down. "These 12 teachers have been teaching in Vivekananda College for the past several years. The longest serving teacher amongst them was hired on January 9, 2014, most of them joined in 2016-17 and a few in January 2018. In this unforeseen wave of the pandemic, where people are struggling with illness and losing their near and dear ones, this additional insecurity is unfortunate," said Dr Abha Dev Habib, Treasurer, DUTA. "It's time for Acting Principal Hina Nandrajog to go. No DU rule allows her continuation. No institution can gain from such an administrator, " she added.
Last week, after the announcement, Dr Alok Ranjan Pandey, Vice President of DUTA had said that the Vice Chancellor's intervention had been sought in the matter. "Twelve ad hoc teachers in Vivekananda college have been removed. Out of those, six are COVID positive. We have requested the VC to interfere in this matter as early as possible. The removal has been made citing no workload. The most basic question is how can workload just reduce like that when it did not in the first semester?" he asked.
As per the DUTA data, Vivekananda College has 42 permanent teachers and 69 ad hoc teachers out of which 12 have been removed. Out of 12,000 teachers, around 6,000 have been appointed on an ad hoc basis in Delhi University. Ad hoc teachers get their renewal every 4 months.
