Delhi University allows teacher recruitment in colleges without permanent principals

NEW DELHI: Delhi University has allowed colleges without permanent principals to appoint teachers. Earlier, colleges with officiating or acting principals were not allowed to recruit either teacher – not even on ad hoc basis – or non-teaching staff. The ban on the appointment of non-teaching staff in these colleges still holds.

In a letter to colleges on August 31, DU’s assistant registrar (colleges) has said that colleges and institutions "wherever the acting or officiating principal are in position may go ahead in advertising the teaching posts only". This is being done in the “larger interests of the students”, says the letter. Earlier, recruitment was on hold in colleges where governing bodies had no appointed permanent principals. The letter also says that the review was undertaken "with particular reference to the ensuring academic session 2022-23”.

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At least one group of teachers had been protesting against DU’s decision to stop appointments in these colleges through letters in May and August. “In our earlier letters, we pointed out that the university letters dated August 18 and 22 were violating the rules and regulations and an attack on the federal character of DU. Today's letter by the university is an admission of the problems caused in its own earlier letters. This reflects the patrimonial approach of the university administration with a sense of entitlement to disburse the relief, whereas the Governing Body is statutorily entrusted to make appointments. This letter is insufficient and GB should be allowed to make the appointments,” said Rajesh Jha from the Academics for Action and Development (AAD) a DU teachers group.