Delhi University and its 60-odd affiliated colleges on Thursday witnessed a shutdown by teachers protesting against a funds cut that has held up salaries.
The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi has drastically slashed the funds for 12 colleges in 2020-21 and 2021-22, leading to interminable delay in the payment of salaries to 2,000 faculty members and over 1,000 non-teaching staff.
The institutions facing funds cut are Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women, Aditi Mahavidyalaya, Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, Bhagini Nivedita College, Acharya Narendra Dev College, Maharishi Balmiki College of Education, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Science, Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Science, and Maharaja Agrasen College.
The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) had given the call for complete shutdown at all affiliated colleges and university departments. No activities were conducted in any of the 60-odd colleges of the university on Thursday.
Subodh Kumar, president of the non-teaching staff association of Maharaja Agrasen College, said he had not received salary for five months.
“It has been an extremely difficult time for me to manage my family expenses. All my savings have been exhausted. I have had to borrow from friends and relatives,” he said.
The Delhi government halved the annual budget of Maharaja Agrasen College from Rs 32 crore to Rs 16 crore in 2021-22. Some colleges have had to face 40 per cent cuts.
“The city government says that the colleges should manage on their own. These are government colleges where the tuition fee is low. Poor students study here. It is not possible to increase fees,” said Chandra Mohan Negi, a member of DU’s Academic Council.
In a media statement, the DUTA said the families of the employees of the 12 colleges were facing great distress. They have been unable to pay EMIs and children’s tuition fees and spend on treatment and other basic necessities for over two years.
The Delhi University Principals Association also supported the protest.
While the DUTA has strongly protested the funds cut by the Delhi government, it is yet to take a stand on a similar move by the University Grants Commission. The UGC last month wrote to all central universities advising them to offer only those courses that are in demand among students.
