DU teachers oppose contract employment
‘Even if examinations are conducted online, DU should do so itself rather than outsourcing it to a private firm.’
Hiring teaching staff on contract and outsourcing online entrance exams to a private firm are the two new bones of contention between the Vice-Chancellor’s office and Delhi University’s Academic and Executive councils.
The Executive Council (EC) had “demanded” the introduction of a central registration process for aspirants who wish to apply for teaching vacancies in various colleges of DU. Though the demand was met, the “College Branch” of the Delhi University added a clause in the circular, allowing colleges to hire teachers on contract.
The Executive Council members explained that by creating a central registration process, it will be easier for aspirants to upload their documents only once and then share their online profiles on different colleges’ websites against the vacancies.
EC member Ajay Bhagi said, “DU either has ad-hoc staff or permanent staff; there is no inbetween. There is no need to hire teachers who will work under a naked sword, not knowing when they will lose their job. This kind of set-up is unfit for DU. ”
Other than hiring teachers under the contract scheme, the other bone of contention brewing in the university is over outsourcing of online entrance exams to a private firm. While conducting tests online is not totally unacceptable to university professors, outsourcing them to a private player is not being welcomed by the teachers.
The Standing Committee for Admissions in Post-Graduate courses had recommended outsourcing entrance examinations to a third party so that they can be conducted online.
Bhagi said, “This is absurd. If the entrance exams are to be conducted online, the univer- sity should do so itself instead of outsourcing it to a private firm.”
Members of the EC have reasoned that outsourcing entrance exams to a private firm amounts to jeopardising the legitimacy of the DU admission system. “In case of question paper leaks etc., the only thing we will be able to do is file an FIR. Moreover, who knows where and how an unpopular private firm will place its centres. Hiring somebody with credibility of CAT systems would still make more sense.”
As of now, the recommendation has not been finalised by the V-C. If the Standing Committee’s recommendations are approved by the V-C, students in Delhi will have the option to give entrance exams online as well as offline (at the university’s designated centres), but students in other states will only have the option to give entrance online conducted by a private firm.