DUTA demands removal of VC over 'inaction'

The Delhi University Teachers' Association marched from Mandi House to Parliament Street Tuesday and demanded the removal of the varsity's vice-chancellor over his alleged inaction on important issues in the varsity.

Teaching came to a complete standstill in the Delhi University at DUTA's call for strike on Tuesday as thousands of teachers joined in the march, the DUTA said.

The government's delay in promulgating an ordinance/bill in the current budget session of the Parliament in favour of the 200-point college/university unit-wise roster has put in danger jobs of a large number of teachers belonging to SC, ST and OBC communities, the DUTA said.

The DUTA said there have hardly been any permanent appointments in the Delhi University in the last decade.

They demanded that the government makes a one-time Ordinance to absorb all temporary and ad-hoc teachers.

Ever since this government came to power, it has been constantly trying to privatise higher education and Delhi University and its constituent colleges through schemes like tripartite MoU and autonomous colleges.

The DUTA has strongly opposed all such schemes and will continue to oppose the government's plan to convert higher education from a grants-based economy to the loan-based economy, they said.

The inaction by the Vice Chancellor on important issues has paralysed the University. The DUTA is demanding removal of the Vice Chancellor for misgovernance," they added.

The DUTA demanded that all these issues be resolved at the earliest by the active intervention of the HRD Ministry and also threatened to further intensify its agitation in the coming days.

Some protesters said they were not allowed to march till Parliament and were stopped by the police. They alleged they were manhandled but the police denied using any force against them.