NEW DELHI: Veteran education activist Nandita Narain, acclaimed for her work touching the lives of thousands of teachers and students in DU, retired on Saturday from St Stephen’s College after four decades of service. Narain completed her studies in Mathematics in one of the first co-ed batches at St Stephen’s College. She was a student member of the Academic Council for being a Gold Medallist in her UG and PG in DU. She joined as a lecturer in mathematics in St Stephen’s College in 1981.
Narain is known for her leadership as president of DUTA in 2016 in resisting the attempt by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to “undermine academic standards and reduce teaching posts by increasing workload. Narain also led the years-long successful struggle against the “academically deleterious” Four Year Undergraduate Programme. The professor represented teachers in various elected capacities – as elected member of DUTA executive from 1987-89, AC member (1992-96), member of the Executive Council (1996-2000) and DUTA president (2013-17). She led FEDCUTA movement as its president from 2013 to 17.
Under her aegis, FEDCUTA along with AIFUCTO built a systematic sustained movement against faulty unacademic pointbased promotions (UGC Regulations 2010). Presently, she is president of DTF, convener of the Democratic United Teachers Alliance, a leader in Democratic Outreach for Secular Transformation of India and chairperson of Joint Forum for Movement on Education. Her involvement in the democratic movement did not remain confined to DU.
As chairperson of the Joint Forum for Movement on Education, she has been spearheading the fight against the neo-liberal policy assault on public education and most recently against NEP. AICC member Ningombam Bupenda Meitei from Imphal said, “Who will sing ‘Hum Dekhenge’ after her retirement? I believe that there will be many who will sing and when they sing, with the singing of it her dedication and fight for justice to the victims of injustice will be vividly remembered.”
“In today’s academia, her motivation, courage, commitment and fight for justice against the tyranny of injustice would inspire many teachers and students,” Meitei said.
VOCAL AGAINST NEP, NEO-LIBERAL POLICIES
Professor Nandita Narain’s involvement in the democratic movement did not remain confined to the DU. As chairperson of the Joint Forum for Movement on Education she has been spearheading the fight
against the neoliberal policy assault on public education, most recently against NEP