UGC decides to organise consultation with stakeholders

Amid protests by Delhi University teachers over the new UGC criteria for evaluating their performance and increased workload, the University Grants Commission has decided to organise a consultation with stakeholders over the issue.
"The stakeholder consultations will be organized by the UGC on June 6. The commission has initiated action on the review by HRD ministry of the recent amendment to the UGC including minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges," an official statement said.
"The Ministry had issued a direction to the UGC to undertake amendments in the Regulation, indicating that after amendments are carried out the overall workload of professors will remain unchanged and the direct teaching hours per week too would remain unchanged," it added.

The UGC further said that it will invite representatives of teachers from across the country for stakeholder consultations on these issues.
"The commission will also seek perspectives and suggestions from teachers, for its consideration," it said. The teachers argue that the new amendments will lead to job-cuts to the tune of 50 per cent and drastically increase pupil-teacher ratio in higher education.
The new gazette notification has increased the workload for assistant professors from 16 hours of "direct teaching" per week to 18 hours plus another six hours of tutorials, bringing the total to 24. Similarly the work hours of associate professors have been increased from 14 to 22.

However, the HRD Ministry had last week defended the new UGC criteria for Academic Performance Indicators for college and university teachers, saying it provides "more flexibility" even as it ruled out any possibility of reduction in number of teaching jobs.
DU teachers have been boycotting the evaluation process since May 24 in protest against the notification.