New Delhi: Increasing uncertainty over
the semester system, the Delhi University Teachers Association
(DUTA) today warned that it will not cooperate with plans of
holding exams in December, and threatened to intensify its
stir if its demands were not met by October 29.
As classes suffered due to the general strike against
the semester system, DUTA today said Vice Chancellor Deepak
Pental was completely "exasperated" as he had failed to ensure
compliance of his "illegal orders" by the colleges.
Continuing its tirade against the VC, DUTA said he had
become an "instrument" in the hands of the HRD Ministry and
the private interests in education.
"We do not recognise the December 6 semester. We are
teaching in the annual mode and we derecognise all emergency
actions taken by Prof Pental," DUTA President Aditya Narayan
Mishra told a press conference here.
Contending that the future of students will be hit if
the agitating teachers compromised their positions, Mishra
said the teachers will work "night and day" to compensate for
the academic days lost.
Pental, who had indicated that he is likely to leave
office by this week, had yesterday said the varsity will write
to the University Grants Commission (UGC) pointing out the
strikes and the `no work, no pay` notice issued by the
administration.
Mishra, however, said Pental`s move was a clear
manifestation of the fact that he was completely "exasperated
and defeated".
With a number of days already lost due to a series of
strikes and agitations, the University administration had to
recently postpone the semester examination by over 15 days.
Prof Pental said yesterday that as many as 17 working
days were lost in this academic session, but now a further
loss will spell trouble for the students.
All this has come amidst a five-day strike called by
the agitating teachers against the newly-introduced semester
system in 13 science undergraduate courses.
DUTA today said its general body meeting will decide
its future course of action on Friday.
"If a favourable decision is not taken by then, we
will intensify our agitation," he warned.
Asked if this means the University could see more
strikes, he said: "it all depends on the situation".
DUTA also rejected Pental`s assertion that 11 of the
30 colleges where semester system were implemented this year
held classes in the semester mode.
"We can authoritatively say that the number is not
more than 1 or 2. In fact, 90 per cent of the teachers are
teaching in the annual mode," Mishra said.
-PTI
