DU Vice-Chancellor calls for regular faculty appointments

At the Delhi University’s (DU) 1025th Academic Council (AC) meeting held on Thursday, Vice-Chancellor Prof Yogesh Singh stressed the need for regular appointments of permanent faculty.

The council approved several academic and medical initiatives that were under consideration. The meeting included key decisions on faculty recruitment policy, launch of medical postgraduate courses and guidelines for PhD coursework and travel grants.

During the Zero Hour, Vice-Chancellor Singh addressed the long-standing issue of guest faculty appointments across colleges. Stressing the need for structural reform in hiring practices, he said, “We want to change the culture of DU. Permanent appointments should be made instead of temporary ones. Academic appointments should be made twice a year and colleges should also make permanent appointments on a regular basis,” he added.

Prof Singh directed colleges to stop over-reliance on guest faculty and urged them to instead fill the sanctioned permanent teaching positions.

Council members raised various matters such as infrastructure gaps and lack of sports staff. Responding, the V-C said all colleges should appoint sports coaches and suggested institutions facing infrastructural shortages to seek support through Higher Education Financing Agency loans.

The Council announced that Northern Railway Central Hospital (NRCH) is set to start nine postgraduate medical programmes at the Indian Railways Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (IRPGIMSR), subject to approval from the National Medical Commission. Prof Singh said these courses have already been approved by Delhi University.

At these facilities, 32 seats across nine specialisations, including general medicine, general surgery, ophthalmology, pathology and anaesthesia, have been proposed for the 2025–26 academic session, Amendments have been made to PhD coursework structure to bring uniformity across departments.

Registrar Vikas Gupta said the revision was needed as “there were variations in pattern of the course works which were being taught in various disciplines.” The coursework will now carry 12 to 16 credits, including mandatory modules in research methodology, ethics, research tools and a discipline-specific elective.

The Council also approved guidelines for financial assistance to DU delegates presenting research at national and international academic events. Under the new rules, faculty members presenting papers at conferences hosted by top ranking global institutions or recognised national bodies will be eligible for travel grants, subject to verification and documentary proof.