Delhi University Teachers' Association calls for class boycott over several demands

NEW DELHI: The Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) has called for a boycott of classes on Tuesday to press for its demands on a series of issues, including one-time regulation for absorption of ad-hoc and temporary teachers. DUTA members will be staging a protest outside the Delhi University's academic council meeting on Tuesday. Their demands include restoration of workload and credits for discipline specific courses under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework that will be implemented by the university from 2022-23 academic session.

The academic council will discuss the admission process under Common University Entrance Test (CUET). According to a proposal by the Standing Committee of the academic council, the admission to Delhi University colleges from the next academic year could be solely based on CUET scores, if the university's decision-making bodies clear a proposal in this regard. The university's academic council will meet on Tuesday to discuss changes in the admission process to colleges in view of the varsity adopting the entrance test system.

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With the implementation of CUET and based on decisions taken in the meeting, the Delhi University (DU) will be doing away with the earlier system of admission under which it used to announce cut-offs based on Class 12 board results. Moreover, the minimum Class 12 board exam marks to take CUET, will be the passing marks. The decisions taken in the academic council meeting are likely to be taken up in the university's executive council meeting, scheduled for March 25. The executive council is the highest decision-making body of the varsity.

Admission through CUET

The Standing Committee of the Academic Council in its meeting on March 17 had recommended that admissions to the varsity be solely based on CUET scores. According to the minutes of the meeting, the members said that it will not be feasible to include any other criterion based on marks obtained in board examinations. The minutes stated that the members felt that the eligibility criterion must be inclusive to invite a large number of candidates from across the country. "Minimum criteria should be rephrased as the candidates must have passed the Class XII examination or equivalent thereto from a single recognised board," read the minutes of the meeting.

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The members have suggested that candidates must appear in CUET in only those subjects in which they have cleared Class 12. In case the subject studied in Class 12 is not mentioned in CUET, members proposed that candidates must appear in the subject that is similar or closely related to the subject they have studied in Class 12. "Merit will be calculated on the basis of combination of subjects in which a candidate has appeared in CUET as mentioned in the programme-specific eligibility," the minutes read.

The standing committee was also of the view that admission to all supernumerary seats, excluding foreign students, be done through CUET. It proposed that for admission to courses under the faculty of music and fine arts, and B.Sc in physical education and sports, combined CUET score and performance based test, with 50 per cent weightage to both, will be given. It was also decided that admission to minority colleges like St Stephen's and Jesus and Mary will also be done through CUET.