The Ambedkar University Delhi Faculty Association (AUDFA) issued a statement highlighting the varsity's National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) dwindling ranks. The NIRF rank has fallen below 200 in the years 2023 and 2022 as against 96 in 2016. Additionally, the association stressed the alleged decline of interdisciplinary centres, disbursement of salaries and lack of proper infrastructure.
The latest statement by AUDFA claims that interdisciplinary centres are nearing closure due to the lack of institutional support. These centres are:
Centre for Psychotherapy and Clinical Research (CPCR)
Centre for Community Knowledge (CCK)
Centre for English Language Education (CELE)
Centre for Development Practise (CDP)
As per the statement, CPCR ran the Ehsaas mental health clinic in AUD while CCK ran innovative projects like the Institutional Memory Project and the Shadipur and Ghumman Hera Projects.
CELE conducted English Language Training for students under the Language Buddy Scheme and collaborated with disciplines aimed at understanding social science and vocabulary while the CDP ran an acclaimed rural immersion-based MPhil programme in Development Practice in partnership with Professional Assistance For Development Action (PRADAN). "All these centres are closing/nearing closure due to lack of institutional support in the form of human resources and funding," the release alleged.
Giving more details on these centres, the statement said, "Specialized centres were flagship initiatives of AUD, which promoted interdisciplinary research and training along with practise in different areas."
On the contractualisation of teachers and how it has affected the centres at the university, the statement alleged, "Over time, the services of such faculty have been reduced from 3-5-year contracts to 6 months and semester long contracts." The faculty referenced to in the statement are the ones hired, often on a contract basis, who made the specialised centres functional and implemented practice-based curriculum, mentioned the statement.
Claiming that these interdisciplinary centres and programmes played a very important role in defining the nature of education in AUD, the body alleges "In the last few years, interdisciplinary centres have been decimated, with almost total attrition of their talented and dedicated faulty and staff."
Going into flashback
On August 17, the association issued a Charter of Demands that urged the administration to address these at the earliest.
Primarily, the faculty members expressed displeasure with the "dilapidating standards", "worsening work environment", and "stagnant career growth" at AUD. The main reason behind the faculty members' stagnant career growth, claims the representative, is the university administration's misinterpretation and implementation of the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) guidelines.
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