Joint Rally of DUTA, DUCKU, DUSU and others was also joined by FEDCUTA and AIFUCTO.
Over eight thousands students, teachers and Karamcharis participated in the Shiksha Bachao (Save Education) Rally yesterday and marched together from Mandi House to Ministry of Human Resources Development. The Joint Rally of DUTA, DUCKU, DUSU and other students' organizations was also joined by FEDCUTA and AIFUCTO. Teachers and students of AUD, JNU, Jamia, Aligarh Muslim University, IGNOU as well as teachers from Punjab and Uttaranchal joined the Rally under the banner of the AIFUCTO and FEDCUTA.
According to the protesters, the 30-70% funding formula, by which Central Universities are expected to generate 30% of the financial burden on account of the 7th Pay Revision, is the most retrograde recommendations of the MHRD notification on Pay Revision.
"It will immediately affect not only the disbursement of salaries but will force universities to raise funds through student fees and introduction of self-financing courses which will lead to rampant commercialization," said Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) president Rajib Ray in a statement.
The protesting academic community also claimed the intention to reduce funds for the State Universities who have been allocated only 50% of central assistance and that too for a reduced period of 39 months as opposed to 80% for 51 months in the last pay revision is also equally dangerous.
Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA), through which, the grants to public funded institutions are being replaced by loans, and this major policy shift in funding will result in massive fee hike for students on one hand and delay in implementation of 7th Pay Revision, appointments and promotions, claimed the teachers.
Teachers and students are also agitated about the Regulations on Autonomous Colleges and Graded Autonomy recently gazetted on February 12, 2018.
"In total disregard of the feedback given by teachers' unions, the Government has gone ahead with the scheme. This is yet another way to turn public funded institutions of repute into teaching shops", said the statement.
It also said increasing thrust towards commercialisation will make public funded education expensive and adversely impact its quality.
"Higher fees will increase the economic burden on parents and students and put education out of the reach of students from economically and socially marginalised sections of our society as well as women. It will also make education of the basic and core areas of humanities, social sciences and sciences unsustainable," the teachers warned in the statement.
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