Delhi University teachers march to Parliament against privatisation plan

Students, JNU teachers throw weight behind protest; DUTA equates autonomy with commercialisation, says it goes against constitutional right to education

The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) marched from Mandi House to Parliament on Wednesday, March 28, to dissuade the Union Government from the privatising the University. The 'People’s March', in defence of public-funded higher education, was supported by students, and members of Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA) also joined it. 

The agitation has grown in size and form ever since the University Grants Commission (UGC) planned to tone down its funding, by making colleges autonomous and introducing the 30:70 formula. Under this plan, 70 per cent of the finances would come from the Commission and the rest from other sources, such as private funding or internal generation.

In other words, if the plan is implemented, Universities would be asked to generate at least 30 per cent costs on their own, and absorb the revision of salaries following the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. Although not mentioned explicitly, the move could mean higher students' fees. 

Being a central university, thousands of students belonging to modest background and lower economic strata study here. However, in a clarification, dated March 27, 2018, the UGC said, “The centrally funded institutions whose salary commitments were being met by the UGC/MHRD, the increased liabilities due to revision of 7th CPC, will be fully met by the Central Government”. Achieving full autonomy will mean that institutes will no longer have to seek approval from UGC on matters relating to foreign collaboration or setting up new departments or schools.

Rajib Ray, DUTA President, told Business Standard, "Teachers will forever remain on contractual basis if the proposed autonomy policy is implemented. We narrowly skipped from making it to the list of autonomous colleges released by MHRD, as the NAAC ratings hadn’t taken place yet, but that should not allow the government to get away with this. Sixty per cent of the current teachers across the university are employed on ad-hoc basis and no permanent recruitments have taken place in over eight years”. Instead of giving grants for infrastructural and other purposes (which do not have to be repayed), the Central Government wishes to advance loans through the Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA), which will have to be repayed. 

The association is arguing that commercialisation is going against the constitutional right to access education, and is mainly impacting the marginalised section of the society, including women and the differently-abled. The march, which was trending number 2 on Twitter, culminated at Sansad Marg and was addressed by Brinda Karat, senior leader, CPI(M) where she spoke how euphemising autonomy in the name of privatisation will further discourage students from choosing teaching as a career.