Teachers demand UGC notice rollback

THE UGC’S ORDER THAT WAS UPHELD BY THE SUPREME COURT, SAYS THAT TO CALCULATE QUOTA FOR SCS STS, EVERY DEPARTMENT OF A UNIV BE CONSIDERED A SEPARATE UNIT

NEW DELHI : The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) on Monday held a national convention where politicians and teachers demanded the immediate withdrawal of a University Grants Commission (UGC) notification on the formula to calculate reservation in teaching jobs.

The UGC’S order, which followed an Allahabad high court directive that was upheld by the Supreme Court, says that to calculate quota for Scheduled Caste (SCS) and Scheduled Tribe (STS), every department of a university be considered a separate unit. At present, the entire university is treated as a single unit.

However, the government has already a Special Leave Petition (SLP) to roll back the new system amid fears that it would affect the representation of SC/ST candidates.

DUTA’S president Rajib Ray said, “The UGC notification has hastily tried to implement a controversial SC order on reservations even as the government, and the UGC itself, have sought a review of the order through a SLP.”

Ray alleged that in case of DU, the UGC notification has put a complete halt to the process of permanent appointments that had begun at the behest of the Delhi High Court.

DUTA said the government should issue a clear directive to all universities and colleges to proceed with routine permanent appointments on the basis of the 200-point roster and by counting the institution as a unit, as per 2006 UGC guidelines on reservation.

The convention on ‘The Question of Representation in Higher Education’ was attended by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Udit Raj, Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh, former UGC Chairman Sukhdeo Thorat, politburo member CPIML Kavita Krishnan, Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh, former DUTA presidents Ram Oberoi and Nandita Narain and president Jawaharlal Nehru University teachers’ association (JNUTA) Sonajharia Minz, a statement from DUTA said.