DU EC approves Rs 1,886.53 crore budget, guidelines for promotion of research culture

NEW DELHI: In an Executive Council meeting today under the chairmanship of University of Delhi vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh, the budget of Rs 1,886.53 crore of the university was passed for the financial year 2023-2024. Along with this, the draft was also approved for promoting research culture in the university and reemployment of research oriented academicians.

“In the first meeting of this financial year, the revised budget estimates 2022-23 and budget estimates 2023-2024 for the year 2023-2024 were presented, which were approved by the finance committee after consideration in its meeting held on March 21, 2023,” the statement read.

Out of the total budget estimate of Rs 1,886.53 crore for the financial year 2023-2024, Rs 512.34 crore is estimated in the salary head. “Accordingly, a provision of Rs 267.33 crore has been made under regular faculty salary and Rs 127.01 crore for regular non-faculty salary and Rs 118.00 crore for other subjects such as leave encashment, LTC, children education allowance, medical reimbursement and other retirement benefits etc,” it said.

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The expenditure of faculty and non-faculty vacant positions has also been included in the budget, under which an estimate of Rs 876.34 crore was presented.

“Under recurring (OH-31) expenses, a total estimate of Rs 582.19 crore has been presented for pension, non-salary items, non-net fellowship and Higher Educational Financing Agency. Along with this, an estimate of Rs 428 crore has been presented for capital assets like building, books and journals, laboratory equipment, class room equipment and furniture, computers and campus development etc,” the statement said.

After considering the recommendations of the committee constituted to prepare guidelines for promotion of research culture in various subjects in the university and reemployment of research oriented academicians, these recommendations were also passed in this meeting.

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The university stated that the retired research oriented educationists can be re-employed. This rule will be applicable only in the University Teaching Departments, centres, schools, institutions established by the University of Delhi, it has not been implemented in the colleges of the university.

Vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh pointed out that the new National Education Policy (NEP 2020) envisions the improvement of quality research with an emphasis on innovation and technology development in higher education institutes.

“The re-employed professor, senior professor shall hold the position only till such time as the position against which the re-employment has been made is vacant and shall cease to exist after the regular appointment is made against that post,” it added.