Shri Ram Nath Kovind,

Hon’ble President of India 

&

Visitor of University of Delhi.

Respected Sir,

Your kind attention and intervention are requested to the plight of nearly 4500 ad-hoc & temporary Assistant Professors of the University of Delhi, a university which stands tall in its legacy for imparting quality education. These Assistant Professors have been languishing from a long time in various colleges/departments of the university amidst job and social insecurity. This is a serious concern of these teachers of University of Delhi, who are working on adhoc/temporary basis on full-time, approved, sanctioned and substantive posts. If their concern is not addressed in a proper and time bound manner, it will prove disastrous for their careers and teaching-learning process in Delhi University. It also has serious socio-economic consequences as more than 50 percent of these adhoc & temporary teachers belong to marginalized and deprived section of society (SC, ST, OBC & PWD category). Moreover, more than 50 percent of these teachers across the categories are women. They all have been recruited by Delhi University on adhoc & temporary basis on sanctioned/approved positions, through advertisements and interviews as per the rules and regulations framed and passed by the University of Delhi/UGC from time to time.

Assistant professors working on ad-hoc basis are initially appointed for 4 months (i.e 120 days) as per Delhi University EC resolution of 27/12/2007 and the positions on which they work are usually permanent sanction posts. While the eligibility criteria of all categories Permanent, temporary and adhoc Assistant Professors in the University remain the same, it is pertinent to mention here that there is a marked difference in the service and working conditions of the ad-hoc teachers as compared to the temporary and permanent teachers. Those working on a temporary basis are paid full salary in the UGC pay scale with full allowances and annual increment as admissible to a government servant and with continuous services, without any notional break, however they are discriminated from permanent teachers on account of promotion and they remain Assistant Professors irrespective of their length of service and academic achievements. The ad-hoc teachers are paid initial of full UGC pay scale without any increment but with full allowances. They are given one day notional break after 120 days or before and then their services are renewed. Most unfavourable condition is that they are under the constant threat of losing their jobs anytime. These teachers are deprived of all rightful benefits such as annual increments, promotion, medical benefits, leaves, etc. Female colleagues have been denied their right of availing maternity for a long time and child care leaves. The service terms and conditions of adhoc teachers violates the principle of equal pay for equal work. These well-qualified and experienced teachers working on adhoc/temporary basis have been forced to work under discriminatory and exploitative service conditions.

The Assistant Professors (adhoc/temporary) employed in the University have always worked with great zeal, earnestness and honesty in various Delhi University departments and its constituent colleges. They have been at the forefront in providing their services to Delhi University, particularly during the times of crisis when the university was in dire need of extra hands. These teachers bore the extra workload burden, from time to time, which was generated due to implementation of OBC expansion of seats, educational reforms such as introduction of semester system, CBCS, LoCF and later EWS expansion of seats. They have been teaching uncomplainingly, without any break, during the pandemic situation and are working overtime. Besides teaching, they proactively engage themselves in arduous administrative works of their colleges as well as the University. None can ignore their substantial contribution to research and academics, co-curricular activities and the corporate life of the university and colleges to enrich the teaching-learning process. These teachers carry out all the essential duties, as well as additional duties, which permanent teachers of the university/college are expected to perform during their tenure. The bright and young scholars join the University with the faith and optimism of getting permanent jobs through Interview process at regular intervals.

Unfortunately, for reasons best known to university administration interviews to fill vacancies on permanent basis have not taken place for a long time, despite the repeated advertisements and scrutiny of applications when majority of these teachers applied and paid application fees. Since 2010, there has not been any major drive for permanent appointments in the University and colleges to fill the increased number of vacancies due to OBC expansion. Though, the University and its affiliated colleges advertised teaching posts in 2015, 2017 and 2019 but it failed to conduct interviews in majority departments and colleges. The advertisements were allowed to lapse despite the direction of Delhi High Court (Dec, 2016) to fill all these substantive posts by 31st July 2017, advisories of The Ministry of Education and UGC and your Excellency's instruction and remarks about filling up the above-mentioned positions in November 2017. The non-filling up of permanent positions in Delhi University has now culminated in an abnormal situation where the proportion of adhoc teachers has surpassed 50 % of the total teachers’ strength currently working in Delhi University and its constituent colleges. This also violates the permissible UGC norm of maximum 10 % of the sanctioned posts through non-permanent teachers. This situation has resulted in withering off the last ray of hope for adhoc/temporary teachers for getting appointed on permanent basis. These well-qualified talented teachers, who have given hey days of their career in serving the university, are forced to work on adhoc/temporary basis. It is due to a lack of will and action on the part of the university and college administration that has pushed the whole of the university system towards adhocism in the past several years.

The adhoc system has denied thousands of teachers of their fundamental right to work with dignity and stress-free lives. The livelihood of the adhoc/temporary teachers is always in danger. We believe that it is the duty of the University and its constituent colleges to take care of the well-being of their employees. It is also the responsibility the Government of India to ensure that its institutions respect the laws and regulations that govern them. The University of Delhi kept delaying the interviews and deprived the teachers their job security. The government of India should take cognisance of this unusual circumstances and regularize the services of the teachers working on adhoc and temporary basis.

Sir, the demand for one time absorption on the duly sanctioned positions observing all provisions of reservations as per 200-point roster and DoPT guidelines is neither out of place nor is for the first time. There have been similar instances where in ad-hoc/temporary/contract teachers have been absorbed to regularise their services through special legislations. In DU itself such steps had been taken in the year 1979-80 (Temporary Ordinance, XIII-A(Ord.13-A), all temporary teachers were made permanent against the existing substantive posts. Many State Governments such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Sikkim, etc. have regularised/absorbed employees, including teachers, through special ordinance. There is also a Supreme Court Judgement in favour of absorption dated 10/04/2006 State of Karnataka v/s Uma Devi & others (Appeal civil) - 3595- 3613 of 1999.

We, therefore, make an earnest appeal to VISITOR of DU to issue directions to MoE to consider and meet the legitimate & genuine demand of absorbing the teachers working on adhoc/temporary basis observing all constitutional provisions of reservation (as per 200-point roster & DoPT guidelines on reservation). For resolving the problem Delhi University, UGC & MoE together should frame the modalities to absorb these teachers by bringing One Time Extraordinary Ordinance/Bill.

Sir, through this petition, DUTA also request your intervention and direction to 

• MoE, UGC and University of Delhi to fully implement the ‘Record of Discussion’ of 5th December, 2019.
• MoE and UGC Sanction of additional teaching positions due to 25% EWS expansion to DU and its colleges.
• Income from the position where an Adhoc or Guest Faculty is teaching while applying for permanent/adhoc position shouldn't be included as income for determining the eligibility under EWS category.
• The UGC should direct DU & its colleges not to implement EWS quota with retrospective effect.
• All teaching position roster needs to be put on DU and college websites and DU & its colleges be directed to strictly follow 200-point reservation roster and DoPT guidelines on reservation.
• University to implement letters dated 24th August, 2021 from Secretary, MoE and UGC letter of 9th September, 2021 on filling of reserved positions (including backlog) at the earliest.

Absorption of existing adhoc/temporary teachers will be a step towards restoration of equality, dignity of teachers, gender equality, and maintenance of quality in higher education in Delhi. The sanction of 25% EWS expansion vacancies in DU and its colleges will also help in restoring and improving the overall Academic and Research environment of DU and its Colleges that has been badly affected by the adhocism for more than 12 years. Implementation of any academic reforms through NEP 2020 has little meaning and can't be successful without the permanent faculty in the university and its colleges.

Thanking You

Yours sincerely,

A. K. Bhagi, President, Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA)

& Others