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President/ Secretary

Delhi University Students Union (DUSU)

University of Delhi

Delhi 110007

Sub: Appeal to DUSU to join the DUTA in solidarity in its struggle against the University

Administration, express support for the Indefinite relay Hunger Strike and conduct a Joint Action

to put up a united front against Academic Reforms

Dear Friend,

You may be aware that the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) is waging a long -drawn struggle

to resist the damaging changes that the Vice Chancellor is bringing about in the University without

consulting the democratically elected bodies of teachers and students. The DUTA struggle againstUniversity Administration and the Vice Chancellors diktats began in 2009 with the arbitrary imposition of

the semester system in the undergraduate degree programmes. The reasons for which DUTA had chosen

to oppose the semester system have corroborated by our collective experience after it was imposed.

Teachers and students are very unhappy with the system as it does not allow any flexibility of time or any

scope for comprehensive teaching-learning. Teachers are in a perpetual hurry to cover their syllabi and

students are under tremendous pressure.

The irony of the situation brought about by the Vice Chancellor became very clear when, in order to show

the success of the semester system, all principles of moderation of marks were abandoned and marks were

inflated to project unbelievably high percentages. The DUTA had warned that this irresponsible anddishonest manner of functioning will result in the devaluation of the Delhi University degree. Let alone

taking responsibility for this blunder, the Vice Chancellor refused to provide any explanation for the Marks

Scam. On the other hand, the results of the examinations conducted for students of the School of Open

learning (SOL) remain undeclared to this day. Neither the Examination Branch, nor the Vice Chancellor felt

obliged to come out with any statement for this shameful lapse. The careers of SOL students continue to

suffer under a cloud of uncertainty.

As the matter of the statutory violations committed by the Vice Chancellor in enforcing the Semester

system was heard in the High Court and the judgement reserved, the ills of the semester system continued

to show up. With uneven workload between even and odd semesters, departments were forced todiscontinue the services of those ad-hoc teachers for whom adequate workload could not be shown. This

situation also made it impossible for colleges and departments to create posts based on consistent

workload and permanent teaching vacancies. In colleges where the vacancies had been advertised in the

past, the Vice Chancellor refused to send the list of subject experts and allowed the advertisements to

lapse. All this has finally resulted in a full-fledged teachers crisis in all colleges and departments of the

University. Close to 4000 teaching posts remain vacant till date and students continue to suffer due to the

unavailability of stable and permanent teachers.

Now, even as there is talk of implementing a four-year undergraduate degree programme with multiple

exit-points through a Task Force without any statutory approval, and without consulting any Committee

of Courses, any general body of teachers and students or even the DUSU and the DUTA, the Standing

Committee of the Academic Council has been forbidden from considering the cases of students who want

to resume their studies after a gap, revaluation of papers has been discontinued and more confusing

changes in the name of Examination Reforms are being pushed. To save work for the Examination

Delhi University Teachers AssociationAn appeal to students to join the ongoing teachers movement

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Branch, students are now being asked to declare their names and details of their parents names and

colleges in the examination answer-script. This move is illegal as it completely violates the principle of

confidentiality and secrecy in university examinations. Additionally, it will also expose the students to all

kinds of bias. The teachers are worried that the onus of secrecy is being put entirely on the individual

paper-setters and the University wants to withdraw from all its responsibility and pit students against

teachers. This strategy of Divide and Rule will help the Vice Chancellor to have his way as it will create an

unbridgeable wedge between the students and teachers.

The proposed four-year undergraduate programme in tandem with the commercialization of courses,

itself is a deeply problematic model being foisted on the students and teachers of this University without

any reference to the existing National Education Policy and in a scenario wherein State universities are

continuing with the 10+2+3 model. While these drastic changes are being unilaterally pushed, the class-

room, laboratory and library infrastructure in colleges continues to remain inadequate and, as has already

been stated, teachers are not being appointed on regular basis. Whenever the DUTA or DUSU has

appealed to the Vice Chancellor to meet and initiate meaningful dialogue, he has rebuffed both and

refused to discuss issues in an environment of frank participation and consultation.

Despite repeated exhortations, the Vice Chancellor has shown a complete lack of regard for thedemocratic organs of the University. Needless to say, his arrogance and dictatorial agenda has created a

mess for governance and teaching-learning within the University. This situation can be salvaged only

through a united and coordinated action of all the democratic organs, namely the DUTA, DUSU and

DUCKU. In this regard, we are appealing to you to seriously consider extending your support to the

struggle and showing your solidarity by visiting your teachers who have been on continuous Hunger

Strike, since 10th

October 2012, outside the Vice Chancellors office near the University Gate No. 1 and by

joining us for a Joint Demonstration at the same venue on Friday, October 26, 2012 at 2.30 pm.

Please convey your response at the earliest.

Thanking you.

Warm regards,

Sd/-

(S.D. SIDDIQUI) (AMAR DEO SHARMA)

Secretary, DUTA President, DUTA

Save DU! Join the Ongoing Movement in Large Numbers!

Attend

Joint ProtestOf

Students, Teachers and Karamcharies(An accompanying programme of Indefinite Relay Hunger Strike)At 2:30 pm on Friday, 26 October

Outside the VC Office, Gate No 1