DUTA marches against Centre''s tripartite MoU, MHRD''s freeze on permanent appointments

New Delhi, October 10

Hundreds of teachers and students marched under the banner of Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) from Mandi House to Parliament to protest against the Centre’s controversial tripartite MoU and its failure to issue an ordinance on the reservation roster to help permanent appointments for the thousands of vacant teaching posts across DU departments and colleges.

Terming the tripartite MoU between the Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD), University Grants Commission (UGC) and the varsity as an "attempt to dismantle public-funded education", DUTA maintains that the agreement asks the university and its colleges to generate resources through regular fee-hikes, increased enrolment and mobilise revenue from corporate sources, alumni and through self-financed courses.

“It also puts an end to UGC grants and forces the university to take infrastructure loans through Higher Education Financing Agency. Additionally, it allows the MHRD to set absurd quantified targets for the qualitative assessment and learning outcomes of courses offered in the university,” said Prof Rajib Ray, DUTA president.

DUTA urged the government to immediately withdraw the tripartite MoU and allow a wider debate ways to strengthen higher education and went on to highlight government's “failure to honour” its own promise of issuing an ordinance on the reservation roster to enable universities to maintain status quo in appointments while the issue is being reviewed by the Supreme Court. — TNS