Fourth-Year Schedule Irks Teachers At DU
colleges have slashed breaks and packed five-hour teaching slots into 12-hour working days, a move now formalised by a university notification that has triggered outrage amongthe faculty.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Teachers say the directive, issued ahead of the Aug 1 rollout, forces colleges into an "exhaustive and exploitative" routine that compromises safety, ignores infrastructure gaps and sidelines the ad-hoc staff.
The notification dated July 31, reflecting the decisions of the July 12 Executive Council meeting, states that colleges have been advised to function from 8am to 8pm "for optimal utilisation of the available resources".
It directed colleges to stagger the deployment of faculty and staff to meet this requirement. Teachers say this has resulted in the elimination of transition and lunch breaks, with some colleges forcing five hours of continuous classes onto faculty schedules, despite the lack of adequate infrastructure, rest areas or staff rooms.
"This latest DU directive to adopt 8am to 8pm daily classes is extremely dangerous from the safety perspective of students and teachers," said Mithuraaj Dhusiya, Executive Council member.
"Further, making students sit from 8am to 8pm is neither feasible nor practical. It just shows that DU isn't prepared for the fourth year of NEP on both counts — infrastructure and manpower."
Faculty members are particularly upset with the clause stating that it would be "in the best interest of all stakeholders if the senior regular faculty members of colleges are entrusted with the responsibility for teaching and guiding the students in the 4th year".
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
They argue this undermines newly appointed and ad-hoc teachers, especially in Delhi govt-funded colleges where permanent appointments are pending.
"Teaching is based on areas of specialisation, not age," Dhusiya remonstrated. "This notification insults younger teachers and deepens the divide."
Abha Dev Habib, secretary, Democratic Teachers' Front, and associate professor at Miranda House, questioned the timing of the advisory, calling it "a sign of ill-preparedness".
She said, "The university issued the advisory on Aug 1, the very day classes are to begin. Time-tables and teaching distribution are prepared during vacations — not overnight. The new courses have been pushed without holding workshops for teachers.
Clearly, there has been no systematic effort to ensure smooth implementation of the fourth year."
The notification invokes Clause 15 of the UGC Regulations, 2018, which mandates that teachers be available at the college for at least five hours daily and devote two hours per day to mentoring students.
A minimum of 15 students are to be mentored per faculty member for extra-curricular activities, community development or research. Teachers say this arbitrary quantification of mentoring dilutes its purpose and adds to an already heavy load.
It also notes that while workload norms remain at 14 hours per week for associate professors and 16 hours for assistant professors, research supervision and mentoring duties for the fourth year will be "over and above" this.
"This is the beginning of the end of protections that cap faculty workload," remarked Rudrashish Chakraborty, DUTA member and associate professor at Kirori Mal College. "The push to make only senior teachers teach the fourth year while excluding the ad hoc teachers is an uncalled-for attempt to divide the faculty and create hierarchies within departments. It will especially hurt the 12 colleges fully funded by Delhi govt where hiring is stuck.
"
Chakraborty also asked questions about the fate of evening colleges under the new regime. "If colleges must now work from 8am to 8pm, where does that leave institutions that primarily run evening classes? Will they be asked to function from 8pm to 8am?" he asked.
While the notification states the additional work will be compensated "as per prevailing norms", the faculty members say the policy fails to consider on-ground realities — from lack of classroom space to overburdened timetables — making the fourth-year rollout anything but smooth.
Last month, during an executive council (EC) meeting, Delhi University vice chancellor Yogesh Singh had said that "the university is fully prepared for the 4th year rollout and that solutions are being worked out for colleges facing implementation challenges."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
13 hours ago
- NDTV
College Is Not Just for Degrees, It's For Real Responsibility: Delhi Minister
Education Minster At ARSD: Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma (ARSD) college conducted its 66th Foundation day on Saturday and what was initially expected to be a regular celebratory reunion took a reflective turn when Delhi's Education minister Ashish Sood talked about the "most important education reforms in decades" and asked students how they are going to contribute to the college, society and country. Back at the campus where he once studied commerce in the 1980s, Sood told students that the purpose of college isn't just to accumulate degrees, it's to prepare for real responsibility. "The three years of college are when you enjoy the most freedom," he said. "But life after that comes with responsibilities. Now is the time to ask yourself, how are you going to contribute to your college, your society, and your country?" The speech hit a personal note, with Sood calling his return to ARSD as Chief Guest a "deeply emotional moment," adding, "My foremost identity is that of an alumnus of this college, and I take great pride in that." But beyond the nostalgia, his message was sharply focused on the future, especially through the lens of the National Education Policy 2020. Calling NEP 2020 "a generational shift," the minister said the new policy is designed to transform not just what students learn, but how they learn. From interdisciplinary subject combinations to skill-based education, from academic flexibility to credit transfer and breaks, Sood said the reforms aim to put students at the center of the education system. "This policy isn't just about changing syllabi, it's about changing mindset. We are no longer in a world where just having a degree is enough," he said. "We need thinkers, problem-solvers, communicators, not just test-takers." He also mentioned Delhi's recent push to implement NEP at the grassroots level, including through pilot projects that integrate internships into credit systems and establish school-level skill labs. Mental health services on campus, he added, were also being reviewed as a priority following post-pandemic concerns among students. Referencing the name and founding values of Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, the minister said Sanatan Dharma is not just a religious term, but one that represents eternal truths and social responsibility. "When some people talk about ending Sanatan, it is our duty to uphold and reestablish these timeless values by becoming their torchbearers," he said. While the minister's remarks were largely focused on student responsibility and institutional values, he also touched on current policy moves aimed at school-level reform. Beginning tomorrow, the Delhi Assembly will take up a long-awaited bill to regulate private school fee structures, a proposal that is expected to impact thousands of parents across the capital. Education Minister himself is set to table the bill, based on an ordinance cleared by the Cabinet on April 29. The proposed legislation introduces financial penalties for arbitrary fee hikes by private schools, ranging from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh, and mandates refunds within 20 working days. Delays in processing refunds would trigger escalating penalties, while repeated violations could disqualify school authorities from revising fees or holding administrative office. The bill outlines a three-tier regulatory structure, school-level, district, and revision committees, with the latter having final authority in disputes. While some parents have welcomed the bill's intent, many say there needs to be deeper public dialogue before implementation. For students at ARSD, however, it was the focus on NEP and purpose-driven education that stood out. "Finally, someone's talking about how we study, not just what we study," said a second-year student. "We're tired of the placement rat race. If NEP can help us figure out what we actually want, that's real reform." Wrapping up his address, Sood quoted Acharya Chanakya: "A teacher is never ordinary, both destruction and creation lie in their lap." He thanked the college's past and present faculty for shaping thousands of young minds since 1959 and left students with one final reflection. "If we get NEP right," he said, "Delhi's students won't just pass exams, they'll shape the future." As the event drew to a close, Sood's message was clear: education reform won't mean much unless students are active participants, not passive recipients. "If we get NEP right," he said, "Delhi's students won't just pass exams, they'll shape the future." But as with most reforms, the impact will depend on what happens after the speeches. With the Assembly set to take up the private school fee regulation bill tomorrow, and NEP implementation still uneven across campuses, the coming weeks may reveal whether policies like these translate into real change, or remain distant headlines for students navigating everyday challenges. For many in the crowd, the takeaway was less about nostalgia and more about ownership. "Everyone talks about jobs and marks. It was different to hear someone ask us to think about our role in society," said a student. "College shouldn't just be a waiting room for placements, and if NEP delivers, maybe it won't be."
Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Not prepared for fourth year': DU's push for 12-hour shifts at colleges sparks criticism
Amid the rollout of the fourth year undergraduate programme (FYUP) under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 from this academic session at Delhi University, the varsity's push for 12-hour shifts has drawn criticism from teachers and students. Expressing myriad concerns, faculty unions are demanding the university withdraw the advisory and hold wider consultations as the classes for the new session begin Monday. In a notification dated July 31 notification, the university asked colleges to extend their hours and operate from 8 am to 8 pm to 'ensure availability of faculty and staff during the period,' suggesting a staggered deployment to accommodate additional academic requirements. However, faculty representatives argue that this blanket approach ignores the realities on the ground. 'The order clearly shows that we are ill-prepared for the fourth year,' said Abha Dev Habib, Secretary of the Democratic Teachers' Front and Associate Professor at Miranda House. She added, 'Teaching distribution and timetables must be planned in advance during the vacation itself if classes are to begin smoothly. Pushing this on August 1, with classes beginning August 4, leaves teachers scrambling. It also means that first-year teaching is now pushed toward guest faculty, which is no way to welcome students to a university.' Safety is emerging as the biggest worry. Many DU campuses are located in areas where traveling at odd hours feels unsafe to students and staff. 'This latest DU notification is extremely problematic. It is extremely dangerous from the safety perspective of students and teachers in many areas of Delhi,' said Dr Mithuraaj Dhusiya, an elected member of DU's Executive Council. 'Making students sit from 8 am to 8 pm is neither feasible nor practical. It just shows that DU is not prepared for the fourth year of NEP — neither on infrastructure nor manpower.' Rudrashish Chakraborty, Associate Professor of English at Kirori Mal College and Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) Executive member, called the measure 'anti-teacher and anti-student.' 'It forces colleges to adopt a draconian system. The notification expressly instructs colleges to prepare a staggered timetable of a minimum five hours per day for every teacher, even if there is no space for teachers to sit and work,' he said. Chakraborty also flagged the potential impact on evening colleges, which traditionally cater to students who work during the day. 'It is not clear how this will impact evening colleges. Are they going to schedule their classes from 8 pm to 8 am? Or are they going to be dismantled altogether as institutions?' Faculty members also warned of an emerging hierarchy under the new system. 'The university has said that only senior faculty should teach and supervise the fourth-year students. This is a vicious attempt to create a division between so-called senior and junior colleagues, which will undermine collegiality and disrupt teaching culture,' Chakraborty added. 'We cannot implement structural reforms like this through last-minute orders without preparation, safety measures, or teacher training,' said Habib. Although the strength of students was not as high on Friday when colleges held orientations, better attendance is expected on Monday, officials said.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Fourth-Year Schedule Irks Teachers At DU
New Delhi: Faced with the pressure to accommodate a fourth year under the undergraduate curriculum framework, several colleges have slashed breaks and packed five-hour teaching slots into 12-hour working days, a move now formalised by a university notification that has triggered outrage amongthe faculty. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Teachers say the directive, issued ahead of the Aug 1 rollout, forces colleges into an "exhaustive and exploitative" routine that compromises safety, ignores infrastructure gaps and sidelines the ad-hoc staff. The notification dated July 31, reflecting the decisions of the July 12 Executive Council meeting, states that colleges have been advised to function from 8am to 8pm "for optimal utilisation of the available resources". It directed colleges to stagger the deployment of faculty and staff to meet this requirement. Teachers say this has resulted in the elimination of transition and lunch breaks, with some colleges forcing five hours of continuous classes onto faculty schedules, despite the lack of adequate infrastructure, rest areas or staff rooms. "This latest DU directive to adopt 8am to 8pm daily classes is extremely dangerous from the safety perspective of students and teachers," said Mithuraaj Dhusiya, Executive Council member. "Further, making students sit from 8am to 8pm is neither feasible nor practical. It just shows that DU isn't prepared for the fourth year of NEP on both counts — infrastructure and manpower." Faculty members are particularly upset with the clause stating that it would be "in the best interest of all stakeholders if the senior regular faculty members of colleges are entrusted with the responsibility for teaching and guiding the students in the 4th year". Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They argue this undermines newly appointed and ad-hoc teachers, especially in Delhi govt-funded colleges where permanent appointments are pending. "Teaching is based on areas of specialisation, not age," Dhusiya remonstrated. "This notification insults younger teachers and deepens the divide." Abha Dev Habib, secretary, Democratic Teachers' Front, and associate professor at Miranda House, questioned the timing of the advisory, calling it "a sign of ill-preparedness". She said, "The university issued the advisory on Aug 1, the very day classes are to begin. Time-tables and teaching distribution are prepared during vacations — not overnight. The new courses have been pushed without holding workshops for teachers. Clearly, there has been no systematic effort to ensure smooth implementation of the fourth year." The notification invokes Clause 15 of the UGC Regulations, 2018, which mandates that teachers be available at the college for at least five hours daily and devote two hours per day to mentoring students. A minimum of 15 students are to be mentored per faculty member for extra-curricular activities, community development or research. Teachers say this arbitrary quantification of mentoring dilutes its purpose and adds to an already heavy load. It also notes that while workload norms remain at 14 hours per week for associate professors and 16 hours for assistant professors, research supervision and mentoring duties for the fourth year will be "over and above" this. "This is the beginning of the end of protections that cap faculty workload," remarked Rudrashish Chakraborty, DUTA member and associate professor at Kirori Mal College. "The push to make only senior teachers teach the fourth year while excluding the ad hoc teachers is an uncalled-for attempt to divide the faculty and create hierarchies within departments. It will especially hurt the 12 colleges fully funded by Delhi govt where hiring is stuck. " Chakraborty also asked questions about the fate of evening colleges under the new regime. "If colleges must now work from 8am to 8pm, where does that leave institutions that primarily run evening classes? Will they be asked to function from 8pm to 8am?" he asked. While the notification states the additional work will be compensated "as per prevailing norms", the faculty members say the policy fails to consider on-ground realities — from lack of classroom space to overburdened timetables — making the fourth-year rollout anything but smooth. Last month, during an executive council (EC) meeting, Delhi University vice chancellor Yogesh Singh had said that "the university is fully prepared for the 4th year rollout and that solutions are being worked out for colleges facing implementation challenges."
