Delhi University on Friday formed a committee to examine a controversial proposal that mandates periodic review of faculty members and enables compulsory retirement where applicable.
Several teachers’ representatives and other members in the Executive Council, the top decision-making body of the university, opposed the agenda item for the adoption of Fundamental Rule (FR) 56(j) and Rule 42 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021.
The EC decided to set up a committee under former University Grants Commission member Inder Mohan Kapahy to hold wider consultations and give its report.
The education ministry and the UGC want all central universities to adopt these rules, which have been framed by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for Union government employees. If these rules are adopted, DU will have to undertake periodic performance reviews of faculty members to ascertain whether they should be retained or retired prematurely.
Rudrashish Chakraborty, associate professor of English at Kirori Mal College, said the DU administration was attempting a witch-hunt against dissenting voices to stifle opposition to policy assaults on higher education.
“The university administration intends to replace permanent employees with contractual employees to reduce recurring costs on salaries and benefits. The real intention of the university administration is to implement the government policy to withdraw funding from higher education and to encourage lateral entry on a contract basis,” he said.
Pankaj Garg, a professor of mathematics at Rajdhani College under DU, said a teacher-assessment mechanism was already in place.
“The APAR (Annual Performance Appraisal Report) system is a robust mechanism to assess the teachers. The teachers have to give details, including academic work, research output and conferences or seminars attended,” Garg said.