NEW DELHI: Delhi University (DU) is set to introduce a uniform policy to determine the seniority of college teachers, aiming to promote transparency and eliminate confusion in faculty appointments and promotions.
The proposal is slated for final approval at the Executive Council (EC) meeting on May 23, chaired by Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh. The lack of a clear framework, particularly for Assistant Professors (Level 10), has led to ambiguity in promotions and nominations for academic and statutory committees across DU colleges.
To address this issue, a high-level committee was formed in July 2024. Led by the Dean of Colleges, the committee included college principals, Executive and Academic Council members, as well as representatives from SC, ST, and OBC communities. After five meetings and a comprehensive review of Ordinance XI, the committee presented its recommendations.
The proposed policy stipulates that departments with earlier appointments will be deemed senior. In departments without a unified seniority list, age will be used to determine seniority, ensuring equal treatment of first-ranked candidates from different categories.
This approach will be applied until all ranks are covered.
Additionally, the policy introduces parallel seniority lists within categories, ensuring clarity without altering overall rankings. This system is designed to uphold constitutional reservation provisions and guarantee fair representation in university governance.
If approved, the policy aims to resolve long-standing disputes over seniority and reinforce DU’s commitment to equity, efficiency, and good governance within its academic institutions.
The issue of seniority has caused significant unrest among faculty members.
Recently, DU professor Megh Raj Yadav wrote to the vice chancellor highlighting the ongoing problem: “A committee was constituted to address the issue of seniority within college departments.
Over the past one and a half years, more than 5,500 Assistant Professors have been appointed across various subjects in different colleges. However, the absence of clear and uniform seniority guidelines has led to discrepancies, causing internal disagreements among faculty members.”