Braving inclement weather and incessant rain, the Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) held a dharna at Jantar Mantar today to protest against the MHRD’s forced and anti-academic introduction of the Point System for appointments and promotions of the teachers. The Point System, which seeks to mechanically quantify teachers’ contribution to the academic and corporate affairs of their respective institution, is based on an arbitrary Academic Performance Indicator (API) system. In its present form, this appraisal system is designed to deny promotions and career advancement to most teachers. It will also encourage an unhealthy ‘rat-race’ for the accumulation of points, leading to undermining of the teaching learning process in the Colleges and the University Departments.
The DUTA also expressed its firm opposition to the MHRD’s malicious intent in granting autonomy to reputed institutions of higher learning, namely colleges like St. Stephen’s, Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) and Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology (NSIT). It resolved to fight any attempt to dismember and fragment the University and to transfer its prestigious institutions to corporate interest.
In this regard, a representative delegation of the DUTA also submitted a memorandum demanding immediate roll-back of the Point System from the UGC regulation and DUTA’s disagreement on the issue of autonomy to the MHRD.
Amar Deo Sharma S.D. Siddiqui
President, DUTA Secretary, DUTA