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News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
Delhi University Teachers Association elections to be held on September 4
New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI) The Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) will go to polls on September 4 to elect its president and 15 members of the Executive Committee for the 2025–2027 term, as per the election schedule released by the DUTA Election Officer on Monday. According to the schedule, the voting will be held from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Arts Building Complex and Satyakam Bhawan, North Campus, University of Delhi. Counting of votes will commence the same day from 6:00 pm onwards. The last date for membership to be eligible to vote is August 12, by 11:59 pm. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 19 at 5:00 pm, and objections to it can be filed until August 21 at 5:00 pm. The final electoral roll will be released on August 23 at 2:00 pm. Filing of nominations will begin on August 25 and continue on August 26, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Scrutiny of nominations will be conducted on August 26 from 3:00 pm onwards. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is August 27 at noon, and the final list of candidates will be published the same day at 2:00 pm. Nomination forms will be available at the DUTA office or on the official website ( starting at 2:00 pm on August 25. The forms must be submitted in a sealed box kept at the DUTA office after they have been filled out For casting their votes, teachers must carry a valid photo identity card issued by their respective department/college/institution or a DUTA-formatted ID card. Mobile phones will not be allowed inside the polling booths. The entire election process is being overseen by M Thirumal, who has been appointed the Election Officer for DUTA Elections 2025–2027. The election is being closely watched, as it will determine the new leadership at a time when several critical academic and administrative issues are being discussed at the University of Delhi. PTI MHS MHS AMJ AMJ view comments First Published: July 21, 2025, 19:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
5 days ago
- Politics
- News18
DUTA Opposes DU's FYUP Rollout, Cites Lack Of Faculty, Infrastructure In Petition To President
Last Updated: DUTA has opposed DU's FYUP rollout, citing lack of faculty and infrastructure, and submitted a petition to the President urging reforms through proper consultation. The Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) has strongly opposed the implementation of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, calling it a 'recipe for failure." On Monday, DUTA submitted a petition to the President of India, highlighting serious issues related to academics, infrastructure, and policies, as reported by news agency PTI. The petition, endorsed by nearly 2,000 faculty members, was submitted through the Ministry of Education. The President, as the Visitor of Delhi University, has the authority to review the matter. At a press conference, DUTA President Prof A.K. Bhagi said the biggest issue is that DU lacks the resources and staff to manage the fourth year under FYUP. 'We need more teachers and better infrastructure to handle the increase in student intake. Right now, we have neither," he said. DUTA also asked for the withdrawal of the Draft UGC (University Grants Commission) Regulations 2025, arguing that such major changes shouldn't be introduced without the Pay Review Committee (PRC) report. They urged the government to address long-standing concerns related to faculty service conditions. Prof Bhagi warned that implementing FYUP without adequate classrooms, infrastructure, and teachers could harm students' education. 'This is a plan set to fail. We won't accept financial support if it comes at the cost of academic independence," he said. DUTA demanded special funding to help colleges upgrade their facilities. DUTA Secretary Dr Anil Kumar added that the draft UGC regulations should not be implemented as they are. He said they should instead be aligned with the upcoming 8th Pay Commission after broad discussions with faculty and other stakeholders. The teachers' body raised many concerns, including: DUTA opposed the use of these online platforms for earning academic credits, warning that it would weaken educational standards and reduce meaningful student-teacher interaction. DUTA Treasurer Dr Akanksha Khurana said that poorly planned policy changes without feedback or proper infrastructure could destabilise public universities and defeat the goals of NEP 2020. The association also repeated its earlier demands, such as: DUTA Vice President Dr Sudhanshu Kumar called for uniform service conditions across academic positions and the immediate recruitment of faculty through special drives. He highlighted delays caused by the 'Not Found Suitable" clause, which is often used to reject eligible candidates. Prof Aditya Narayan Misra added, 'We're not against a four-year structure, but trying to implement it without the needed resources is bound to fail. You've cut teaching hours in half, doubled the number of students, and reduced lab sessions—how is this improving education?" He warned that if their demands are ignored, teachers may have to take to the streets in protest. According to the current academic schedule, the fourth year of FYUP will begin on August 1. While DU Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh earlier called it a 'game changer" focused on research, entrepreneurship, and skill-building, DUTA argues that the university lacks the faculty and infrastructure to support such ambitions. In conclusion, DUTA urged both the President and the Union Education Ministry to ensure that all reforms are based on academic freedom, teacher welfare, and consultation with stakeholders, rather than being forced through without proper preparation. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
08-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Recipe for failure: Delhi University teachers slam 4-year UG in plea to President
Raising alarm over what it calls a flawed rollout of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) has submitted a formal petition to the President of India. Backed by nearly 2,000 faculty members, the petition highlights a slew of academic, infrastructural, and policy shortcomings that, according to the association, threaten the very foundation of public higher a press conference on Monday, DUTA President Professor A K Bhagi stated that the university is ill-equipped to implement the additional fourth year of undergraduate education, citing severe shortages in teaching staff, classroom space, and infrastructure funding. "We simply do not have the resources to handle the increased student load. Implementing the FYUP without adequate preparation is bound to fail," he petition, routed through the Ministry of Education, also seeks the withdrawal of the Draft UGC Regulations 2025 in the absence of the Pay Review Committee (PRC) report. It further urges urgent action on long-standing service-related concerns, including delays in promotions and the recognition of ad-hoc service. Prof Bhagi cautioned that academic independence could be compromised if financial aid comes with strings attached. He called for immediate government intervention and special grants to help DU colleges upgrade their similar concerns, DUTA Secretary Dr Anil Kumar stressed that the new UGC regulations should only be introduced after the 8th Pay Commission recommendations are in place and following broad consultations with academic flagged several pressing issues, such as overcrowded classrooms and labs, overworked faculty, delayed academic calendars, and the growing mismatch between DU's curriculum and external platforms like SWAYAM and MOOCs. The association warned that counting credits from such platforms toward degrees could dilute academic rigor and reduce student-teacher Treasurer Dr Akanksha Khurana underscored that rolling out major policy changes without adequate infrastructure or stakeholder feedback risks undermining the objectives of NEP 2020. She also reiterated the association's demands to reinstate MPhil and PhD increments, fairly count previous ad-hoc service for promotion, remove arbitrary restrictions on senior professor posts, and fast-track the promotion process with a defined two-month petition serves as a strong signal to education policymakers that the implementation of NEP 2020, particularly FYUP, requires more than a policy mandate—it demands resources, planning, and inclusive dialogue.(With PTI inputs)- Ends
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
FYUP impractical, rigid, says DUTA; submits petition to President
More than a year after the RSS-backed National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) swept the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) elections, the union's leadership has expressed its ire towards the university's four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), calling it 'rigid,' 'impractical,' and a 'compromise to academic standards and integrity'. At a press conference held Monday at the India International Centre, DUTA office-bearers condemned the implementation of the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. DUTA President Prof A K Bhagi said the framework, introduced in the fourth year of the new system, 'diluted academic depth' by reducing the credit load of core and discipline-specific subjects and overloading students and teachers with unnecessary paperwork and fragmented assessments. 'The faculty is overburdened with teaching and administrative responsibilities, but there has been no corresponding recruitment or infrastructure expansion,' Prof Bhagi said, citing overcrowded classrooms and laboratories as a key concern. He warned that allowing regular students to earn credits through online platforms such as SWAYAM and MOOCs would further erode academic standards and undermine classroom teaching. 'This will reduce meaningful student-teacher engagement and distort teaching workloads,' he said. Demanding immediate intervention in the drafting of the UGC Regulations 2025, the DUTA has submitted a petition to President Droupadi Murmu, who, as the Visitor to the varsity, has the power to review work and appointments. In a detailed resolution adopted at a national convention held on April 19 at the India International Centre, DUTA said the UGC's proposed alignment with the NEP 2020 lacked both consultation and critical evaluation. 'The rolled-out four-year undergraduate programme is yet to have its first batch graduate. Many other aspects, including the one-year postgraduate course, are yet to be implemented,' the petition noted, calling for a halt to what it described as 'undue haste' in regulation-making. The convention, attended by representatives from Federation of Central Universities Teachers Associations (FEDCUTA), Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA), IGNOUTA, and several central universities, rejected the Draft UGC Regulations in their current form, stating they 'must be made an integral part of the 8th Pay Commission revision of pay scales, and that too with suggested modifications.' One of the central contentions raised by DUTA was the erosion of academic autonomy and the potential for increased inequality under the new framework. 'Shortfall and backlog positions with the 200-point roster should be filled immediately,' it stated, insisting that the 'None Found Suitable' clause—often cited in recruitment delays—was 'not acceptable to teachers wherever candidates with minimum eligibility are available.' In the petition to the President, the teachers' body also demanded the release of teaching positions for the additional fourth year introduced under NEP, as well as separate allocations for the expansion of EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) reservations. Highlighting systemic concerns, the resolution questioned the removal of service-based incentives for MPhil and PhD qualifications and demanded that increments for such degrees be continued. 'These increments serve as legitimate incentives to encourage higher academic attainment,' DUTA argued. A major point of friction lies in the mandatory PhD requirement for promotions, which DUTA termed 'undesirable,' especially in the context of diverse institutional realities. 'Appointment and promotion criteria should not be overly stringent… a one-size-fits-all approach is not suitable,' it said, calling for greater flexibility to accommodate discipline-specific challenges and regional disparities. In a bid to foreground classroom teaching, the association proposed that Teaching Learning Centres (TLCs) be prioritised over Innovation and Technology Centres (ITCs) in promotion criteria, especially in institutions lacking digital infrastructure. No contractual appointments against sanctioned teaching posts, recognition of past service in ad-hoc or post-doctoral roles for career advancement, time-bound and transparent promotion procedures, equal retirement conditions for librarians and physical education staff, a clear policy to avoid cap limits on senior professor promotions, and appointment of only 'eminent academicians' as university Vice-Chancellors are among other demands. DUTA also took aim at the proposed 'Professor of Practice' positions, calling for a complete ban on appointing them against regular sanctioned posts. With growing discontent on campuses over the implementation of NEP-related reforms, DUTA's petition to the Visitor signals an escalating standoff between faculty and policymakers. 'It is imperative that the UGC gives due consideration to the feedback submitted by DUTA,' the petition concluded, 'and ensures the incorporation of relevant suggestions before finalisation.'
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
DUTA writes to Murmu, calls for review of UG curriculum framework
The Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) on Monday submitted a petition to President Droupadi Murmu, calling for the withdrawal of the draft University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines on faculty appointments and seeking a 'comprehensive review of the UGCF (Undergraduate Curriculum Framework) model with full stakeholder consultation'. The UGCF is the structure aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, under which Delhi University has implemented the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), whose first batch will enter its final year in July. Several students from the batch have already dropped out citing a lack of infrastructure and unclear prospects. 'Flawed implementation of FYUP' DUTA remarked upon the 'flawed implementation' of the FYUP and said that it is being implemented without a 'comprehensive assessment of its feasibility or impact.' The teachers' body chief, A.K. Bhagi of the RSS-affiliated National Democratic Teachers' Front, said the reduced credit for core subjects under UGCF has led to a 'dilution of academic depth'. He added that faculty members are being 'increasingly overburdened' due to growing teaching and administrative responsibilities, with no corresponding recruitment or infrastructural expansion in sight. DUTA 'rejected' the draft regulations, saying, 'Since the UGC Pay Review Committee has not been set up, there's no need for the draft regulations at the moment.' Nearly 2,000 faculty members have endorsed the petition. The draft UGC regulations, announced by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in January, aim to transform the process of recruiting and promoting faculty members across higher education institutions.
