AADTA opposes the Scheme
New Delhi: Exasperated at the Cluster Colleges Scheme implemented by the Delhi University (DU) under the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Academics for Action and Development Teachers Association (AADTA), national Teachers Organisation of Aam Admi Party (AAP) alleged it to be a move towards privatisation and introduction of contract system subsequently, compromising the quality of education in the most prestigious University of the country and the world.
While talking to The Vibrant News here on Wednesday, Professor Rajesh Jha, AADTA Media Coordinator said that they would fight against the new scheme which he termed as "draconian" scheme aimed at ruining teaching atmosphere.
He said that the Education Council Members Seema Das and Rajpal Singh Pawar and Academic Council Members Kapila Mallah, Alok Ranjan Pandey and CM Negi have raised their voice against it by writing a letter to the Vice Chancellor (VC) over this issue.
Strongly opposing the university notification issued on October 31, the AADTA expressed its strong exception over the procedural and substantive problems in the new scheme.
Prof Jha said that the academic matters related to teaching-learning and examinations were exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Academic Council (Clause 23, DU Act 1922, Statute 7(8)(xviii)) and the staff councils (Ord XVIII -6A-5). The notification has not been discussed in and approved by the statutory bodies, he alleged.
Professor Jha said that the time table is to be prepared by the staff councils and they cant be forced to accept the scheme not approved by the statutory bodies. "This notification has wider implications and should not be implemented by the Executive feat bypassing the statutory bodies like EC, AC, the standing committee, the Faculty and the staff councils", quipped Professor Jha.
This Scheme will lead to fluctuating workload resulting in contractualisation of the teaching positions and would wipe out the additional posts required under Other Backward Category (OBC) expansion Scheme and Economic Weaker Scheme (EWS) Scheme and withhold the second tranche posts, alleged Professor Jha.
Expressing concern over the new scheme, he said that under the prevailing scenario of sckewed teacher-students ratio, this clusterisation will severely compromise the academic standard and reputation of hundred years old DU.
Professor Jha said that everyone was aware of the geographical distance between the colleges of the Delhi University and commuting constraints adding that the students as well as the teachers both will be put under unnecessary trouble under the "impractical and illogical" Cluster Colleges Scheme.
"This will also adversely affect the prospects of the permanent jobs for thousands of adhoc and temporary teachers in the university, for whom we are demanding the absorption", he maintained.
Mr. Jha, a DU Professor said that the higher education can not be reduced to merely lectures in the classroom and the time tested multiple advantages in the stable ecology of rhe Campus must not be sacrificed. The new scheme would reduce the teachers-students from the status of the permanent stakeholders to migratory birds, he said adding that as the quality of education under the new system will suffer, the students especially SC, ST, OBC, EWS, PWD, women will be at the receiving end with long-term disadvantageous impacts.
Strongly demanding to strengthen the stable Campus ecology by releasing additional posts under second tranche and EWS quota as promised by the Ministry of Human Resources Department through a letter issues on December 5, 2019, the AADTA asked the ministry to enhance the grants of the colleges. It also demanded not to implement the notification issued by the DU.
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