NEW DELHI: A day after DU teachers entered a building housing the Vice Chancellor’s office protesting against a circular mandating the appointment of guest teachers instead of making ad hoc faculty permanent, the university administration on Thursday directed teachers to end the “unlawful siege” immediately.
Almost 5,000 Delhi University teachers entered a building housing VC Yogesh Tyagi’s office on Wednesday after breaking three gates and allegedly painted graffiti on the historic structure.
In a letter written to Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president Rajib Ray, Proctor of the varsity Neeta Sehgal, said he along with other colleagues has “forcibly trespassed into the Viceregal Lodge by breaking the main gate and various doors of the heritage building”.
“Your continuing illegal occupation has made the functioning of the university impossible. You are hereby directed to vacate the unlawful siege of the building immediately and leave the place peacefully,” she said in the letter.
The protest called by left-led DUTA and supported by groups, backed by the Congress and BJP, continued, as talks with the university VC and the MHRD were not fruitful. After a six-hour meeting with the VC that had started at 3 am, DUTA President Rajib Ray said that Tyagi didn’t bring anything to the table to be considered. “We were only asked to vacate the area,” he said, adding that all ad hoc colleagues “are very much part of the university system and they will remain.”
Congress-backed AAD’s Rajesh Jha said that the term of proctor had expired. “The VC is making the appointments of his team members violating the rules and regulations. So, her letter has no legal sanctity.” “If this government is sincere about its own regulation, first they should implement the policy of absorption cum promotion across the university,” he added.
NDTF’s Rasal Singh said, “The teachers are fighting for their employment and future. The solution to their problems, which have been pending for decades, should be found soon,” he said. The August 28 DU circular mandates that only appointment of guest teachers can be made against substantive vacancies arising for the first time in the current academic session.