Sirsa varsity adopts five-day work week for faculty

Chaudhary Devi Lal University (CDLU), Sirsa, has officially announced a five-day working week for teaching faculty at the university teaching departments (UTDs), starting from the academic session 2025–26. The decision, approved by the Vice-Chancellor under Clause 11(6) of the University Act, 2003, was notified on Tuesday.

Advertisement

The move comes after a formal demand made earlier in February 2025 by 63 university professors. In a letter dated February 11, they had urged the administration to implement a five-day work week, highlighting its benefits for academic performance, mental health and overall well-being of both students and teachers. The faculty had cited UGC guidelines issued on July 18, 2018, which allow for a five-day week while ensuring 180 teaching days in a year. They also noted that other universities in Haryana like the CRSU, Jind, the MDU, Rohtak, and the GJU, Hisar, had already adopted this system.

The professors had also pointed out that the university’s non-teaching staff already followed a five-day schedule, while teaching staff had to work six days a week. They assured the administration that they were ready to put in extra hours on weekdays so that students would not face any academic loss. They believed that this change would reduce stress, increase productivity and allow more time for research and personal growth. Additionally, they mentioned environmental benefits such as reduced commuting and lower energy use.

Responding to these concerns and recommendations, the university has now aligned its academic schedule with the UGC regulations and state government guidelines. As per the new plan, teaching and learning activities will be conducted for 36 weeks (180 days) annually. Another eight weeks are reserved for admissions, exams, and preparation. The schedule also includes six weeks of vacation and two weeks for public holidays, covering the entire 52 weeks of the year. The revised daily working hours for faculty will be from 9am to 1pm, followed by a lunch break, and then from 1:30pm to 5:30 pm.

The university has sent the notification to the Secretary to the Governor of Haryana, the Director-General of Higher Education, UGC, and other relevant authorities for implementation.

Meanwhile, VC Prof Vijay Kumar stated that the decision alignedwith the spirit of the National Education Policy 2020, which encouraged innovation and lifelong learning among educators. He expressed confidence that the move would not only improve the quality of teaching but also enrich the overall academic environment of the university.