Top officials of the University Grants Commission (UGC) who met teachers of the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) on September 15, said that the absorption of the teachers working on ad hoc basis can only be addressed by the Ministry of Education and even though they are sympathetic towards the plight of the teachers they cannot do anything. The issues of relaxation of the minimum requirement of PhD for appointment, promotion and other benefits were also discussed. Dr Rajnish Jain, Secretary, P K Thakur, Financial Advisor, Dr J K Tripathi, Joint Secretary and Dr N Gopukumar, Joint Secretary were all present at the meeting.
When the DUTA delegation reiterated the demand for a one-time regulation for the absorption of over 4,000 teachers who are working on ad hoc basis, the officials said that the ministry has to take a call. "The UGC officials were sympathetic to the demand but told us that the matter has to be addressed at the level of the Ministry," said DUTA members.
The implementation of the requirement of a PhD as the minimum qualification for appointment has been implemented this year and this has "resulted in the displacement of several ad hoc teachers and led to the breakdown of teaching-learning processes", said DUTA. "Keeping in mind the relaxations given by the UGC for completion of PhDs owing to COVID, we requested that implementation of the clauses of the UGC Regulations 2018, which required teachers to have PhD either for recruitment or promotions, should also be deferred," said the DUTA. "The delegation was promised relief on the issue," read the official statement.
The UGC also discussed further relaxation for completion of teacher training programmes and told DUTA that the issue has been addressed in the Anomaly Committee Report which has already been submitted to the ministry. Issues regarding counting past service for promotion and several other issues were also discussed at the meeting.
