Permanent teaching posts to increase in DU colleges after a decade

Colleges affiliated with the Delhi University (DU) will soon have over 2,500 additional permanent teaching posts as the University Grants Commission (UGC), on Friday, approved release of these posts in the second tranche under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) expansion scheme. The move was welcomed by teachers, who said it will relieve them from the “excessive workload”.

In 2006, the universities were provided additional teaching posts to ensure 27% reservation of the OBCs. The posts were to be released in two tranches. While the first tranche was released by the UGC in 2007, the second tranche was pending. The colleges have since been demanding for its release citing extra burden on the existing teachers. This demand intensified after the introduction of 10% Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota this year. Earlier this month, the UGC informed the DU about the additional posts.

As per a circular released by the DU’s planning unit, the teaching posts will increase in any as many as 47 colleges. The highest number of teaching posts will be added in Zakir Husssain College (morning) (84), Dyal Singh College (83), Deshbandhu College (80), Swami Shraddhanand College (78), Ramjas College (77), Gargi College (76) and Kirori Mal College (71), among others.

Hansraj Suman, chairperson of DU’s SC/ST/OBC teachers’ forum, said the University should immediately start the hiring process. “The posts have been sanctioned after a gap of over a decade. The University should immediately notify the colleges to start the hiring procedure so these posts do not end up getting filled by guest teachers,” he said.

A senior university official said the colleges will be asked to release advertisement for the teaching posts by the end of this month.

College principals said the move will improve the teacher-student ratio in classes. “The colleges have been lagging behind because the teacher-student ratio is so high and the teachers are not being able to pay attention to every student. Also, it will improve the ranking of the DU colleges in NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) and other platforms because teacher-student ratio is a big parameter,” Ramjas College principal Manoj Khanna said.