HRD ministry officials meet Duta delegates

New Delhi: The office-bearers of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (Duta) met officials from the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry on Thursday over the issue of absorption of ad-hoc teachers.

According to Duta, the meeting was attended by its office-bearers and officials from the ministry as well as the University Grants Commission (UGC). “We discussed with the officials and demanded that there be a one-time regulation for absorption of teachers, but there was no assurance. However, they told us that the August 28 circular for appointment of guest teachers against substantive posts will be drafted again to replace the words ‘guest teachers’ with ‘ad-hoc teachers’,” Duta vice-president Alok Ranjan Pandey said.

He said almost 400 teachers, who were appointed after July 20 this year, had lost their jobs due to the August 28 circular, but the ministry assured them that their jobs would not be lost. Before the ministry officials met the Duta office-bearers, they also held a meeting with DU vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi.

The varsity administration on Thursday directed the teachers to end the “unlawful siege” of V-C office immediately. Almost 5,000 teachers entered a building housing the V-C’s office on Wednesday after breaking three gates and allegedly painted graffiti on the historic structure, protesting against a circular mandating appointment of guest teachers.

In a letter written to Delhi University Teachers’ Association (Duta) president Rajib Ray, Proctor of the varsity, Neeta Sehgal, said that he along with other colleagues has “forcibly trespassed into the Viceregal Lodge by breaking the main gate and various doors of the heritage building.” “This has caused considerable damage and defacement of the heritage building. You are still continuing to illegally occupy the premises,” she said.