HRD Officials Assured Us No Delhi University Ad Hoc Teachers Will Lose Their Jobs, Says Agitating DUTA

New Delhi: After two days of protest, Delhi University's ad hoc teachers got relief from the Union Human Resource Development Ministry, which accepted most of the demands that protesting teachers were raising.

However, the teachers' protest has not been called off yet, as the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) will decide future course of action only after receiving the hard copy of promises made by the ministry officials, its President Rajib Ray said.

"DUTA has been promised that the August 28, 2019 letter will be amended to allow provision of ad hoc appointments against substantive posts. No ad hoc teacher will lose job on the basis of 28 Aug letter! DUTA waits to see the hard copy of this new notice," said Ray in a message.

Earlier in the day, the DUTA and Delhi University administration held a six-hour meeting to reach a solution though this could not satisfy the agitating teachers.

"When you bring nothing on the table and ask us to go back, you cannot expect a solution to the issue," Ray said.

He added that the teachers were now waiting for the HRD Ministry who, they think, might help them in the matter.

Earlier, following a day-long massive protest against non-payment of salaries for several months to hundreds of Delhi University teachers, the HRD Ministry officials decided to intervene in the matter and hold talks with the DUTA in evening to resolve the issue.

DUTA, along with hundreds of professors and ad hoc teachers of the Delhi University, have been demanding the appointment, absorption and promotion of ad hoc teachers along with payment of arrears.

DU Professor Rajesh Jha, who is leading the agitation, had told IANS that the DUTA officials have been called by the ministry official at 4 p.m. so that matter can be resolved.

The move by MHRD came after hundreds of teachers broke into Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi's office on Wednesday night and raised slogans against New Education Policy and the administration of Delhi University.

During this protest, teachers painted walls of the VC's office with graffiti, broke iron gates outside his office and the council hall, both of which are housed in Delhi University's North Campus.