7th Pay Commission: Delhi University Teachers, Karamcharis Protest Against MHRD Circular
More than four thousand teachers and karmacharis marched from Feroz Shah Kotla to the University Grants Commission (UGC) office today while the meeting of the full Commission was taking place. Protesting against the recommendations of 7th Pay Revision Notification, the programme under the banner of DUTA and DUCKU reflected the dismay and the anguish of the university community about the implications of the funding formula by which the universities are being forced to generate resources to the tune of at least 30%.
"Teachers and karamcharis are anguished about the delay in disbursement of revised salaries as per the 7th Pay Revision. There is a growing fear it may get further delayed because of the 30-70% funding formula notified by the MHRD," said a press release by Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA).
According to DUTA, as per the MHRD Office Memorandum released on January 13, 2017, the Central Universities are supposed to get only 70% of the enhanced financial burden on account of the Pay Revision, the rest to be met by the Universities through self-generation of resources.
"This is an unprecedented attack on the character of the public-funded institutions as it threatens to reduce funds to institutions of higher learning. Also State Universities have been allocated only 50% of Central assistance and that too for a reduced period of 39 months, i.e. till 31.03.2019, as opposed to the Central assistance of 80% for 51 months in the last pay revision," said DUTA.
The organisation also said withdrawal of public funding will push the burden of maintaining Central and State Universities on students, it will increase the expenditure of parents and students towards education manifold.
DUTA also said glaring anomalies of the last pay revision have not been addressed, resulting in downgrading of Assistant Professors at every level.
"The pay revision has created a situation of compulsory stagnation for all senior teachers, including Associate Professors, Professors and Principals very soon. The fitment formula for incumbent teachers on 1.1.2016 is retained at 2.57 which amounts to a measly 14.27% increase: the lowest in independent India," it said.
Read: Delhi University Teachers On Warpath Over Sacking Of Ad-Hoc ColleaguesDUTA also said this is starkly in contrast to the last two pay revisions where the minimum increase across all categories of teachers was 40% in basic pay.
"Allowances for teachers have been delinked from Central Govt employees and the MHRD notification stipulates that till the Ministry of Finance decides on the revised allowances of teachers, all allowances will be paid according to the pre-revised pay structure. Also, it is shocking that the MHRD notification contains no reference to the revised pension benefits for teachers in accordance to the provisions of the 7th Pay Revision," the statement said.
Teachers and Representatives of Jamia Teachers' Association (Prof. Musheer Ahmad, President, and Dr. Veermani, Joint Secretary), IGNOUTA (Prof. C R K Murthy, President) and Aligarh Muslim University Teachers' Association (Prof. Mujahid Baig, President) also participated in the event.
Many students also joined the protest in solidarity with their teachers and against the fee hike which may result from the recent Government policies.
The DUTA-DUCKU have now given a call of a Joint Rally from Mandi House to Parliament Street on 16 February, 2018.
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