Bitter lessons for capital Gurus

Teachers in the national capital are an angry lot these days. Protests sweep across Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi University (DU), municipal schools or those run by the Delhi government. Those who are supposed to build the country’s future can often be seen taking to the streets, holding banners and placards, and shouting slogans. The crisis has been triggered by non-payment of salaries; work overload because of vacancies; besides appointment irregularities and other administrative issues. Classes are the biggest casualty in this fight for justice. But authorities have failed to take corrective steps and break the deadlock.

Corporation Schools

The situation is particularly bad in primary schools run by two of the three municipal corporations in Delhi. “How can you expect teachers to discharge their duty if you do not pay them?” asked the Delhi High Court on February 23. It was hearing an NGO’s petition on non-payment of salaries to 13,000 teachers from schools under the civic bodies in North and East Delhi for two-to-three months. On February 26, four days before Holi, 1,500 of these teachers took to the streets, demanding an immediate release of their salaries, at least before the festival. 

It was a third such protest by them since April 2017 when BJP swept the three corporations for the third term in a row, handing a crushing defeat to the Congress and AAP. The corporations administratively report to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) through the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) chosen by the Centre where BJP has been in power since 2014. But the three civic bodies depend on grants-in-aid from the Delhi government, run by AAP since 2015. The Delhi government coordinates with them through a directorate of civic bodies. The money that MHA releases also comes to them through the Delhi government. 

The corporations have been accusing the AAP government of not releasing sufficient funds to them. The latter has been denying the allegation. The government shows an allocation of Rs 7,571 crore to the civic bodies in 2017 — an increase of Rs 982 crore from the previous year. The corporations also manage Delhi’s waste, run some hospitals, community services, and maintain roads, drains and parks, besides regulating small trade and businesses.

Following the mass protest, the court termed the situation “painful and shameful” and issued contempt notices against both corporations on March 8. The court also directed the Delhi government to grant loans sought by the corporations so that teachers could be paid. Last year, the East corporation sought a loan of Rs 200 crore, while the North body wanted Rs 350 crore to tackle the crises.

“We are yet to receive the loans. How do we pay so many teachers?” asked Yogendra Singh Mann, spokesperson for the two civic bodies. AAP said that the corporations are just incapable of handling finances. “Delhi government does not owe any money. It has given interest-free loans. BJP leaders are doing politics,” said Rakesh Kumar, AAP councillor and leader of opposition in the North corporation.

After the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was trifurcated in 2012, administrative expenses have gone up, while shared revenue is not of much help. The three new entities have been struggling to pay their employees, including teachers. “We have been facing the crisis, intermittently, for four years. Several teachers, especially those who are sole earners of their families, have been falling sick,” said Kishan Singh, 50. He has been working at a North corporation school for 26 years. 

Teachers also say they have not received other non-monthly payments such as bonus in the past two years. “We are called pillars of nation building, but look at the treatment we are getting,” said Ramniwas Solanki, general secretary, Municipal Corporation Teachers’ Association (MCTA). Teachers also linked the death of their colleague Khem chand (46), who died of heart attack in January, to the crisis. However, the South corporation, which is not in a financial crisis, has been regularly paying its 5,500 permanent teachers. “How is it even possible that one corporation is paying salaries on time and the rest two don’t have money for us?” asked Solanki. 

The teachers of the two cash-strapped corporations have also been demanding the restoration of MCD. “It’s better if these three corporations are unified again. They will not have to divide funds, we will be paid on time,” said Satya Prakash, 45, a Maths teacher at an East corporation school. Teachers are planning another protest in April. “We will sit on an indefinite strike outside the resident of Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari. We have no other option,” Solanki said. “We try not to protest during school hours. But classes do suffer. How can a teacher, who has not been paid for months, concentrate in classes?” asked Dharmendra Kumar, a teacher at a North corporation school.

Delhi Govt Schools

Teachers at 1,100 schools run by the Delhi government have been up in arms against an acute shortage of staff. These schools are officially allowed to have 66,736 teachers, but only have 38,926 — 42 per cent posts are vacant. About 1,7000, or 43 per cent, of the current lot are guest teachers, who work on daily-wage contracts that must be renewed every year. Also, there have been no promotions in Delhi government schools since 2013. “We are overworked and stressed. We are filling in for many others,” said a teacher at a boys’ school in East Delhi.

In January, when class X pre-boards results turned out be “abysmally poor”, teachers in 120 schools were served show-cause notices. Teachers say they did their best, given the manpower shortage. “Just after I completed the syllabus in November, I was shifted to a neighbouring school which was without a Maths teacher then. I worked hard to help students complete their syllabus. What I have got in return is a show-cause notice,” said another teacher. 

Even in such a situation, the Government School Teachers’ Association (GSTA) has remained dissolved since July last year. The Delhi government’s Directorate of Education (DoE) has not held GSTA elections. “We have written multiple times to the Education Minister for GSTA elections. But nothing has happened. The department does not want an organisation to raise the issues of teachers,” said Ajay Veer Singh, general secretary of the last GSTA elected in 2014. GSTA has a three-year term. “The department is busy with examinations. We will initiate the election process soon,” a DoE official said.

Delhi University 

On February 6 and 7, DU teachers observed two days of strike and shut classes across colleges and departments over alleged irregularities in the appointment of 126 assistant professors in the university’s Faculty of Law. Teachers said they were angry as the appointments were made in violation of UGC’s and DU’s norms. The appointments displaced many long-serving ad-hoc teachers.

The teachers alleged that the university administration declined to share the minutes of the selection committee’s meeting and the marksheets of those selected. “We have been struggling with several issues, including absorption of ad-hoc teachers, besides promotions and pension, in the past few years. Many issues could have been easily addressed by the university,” said DU Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president Rajib Ray.

The Delhi High Court asked DU in December 2017 to fill vacant posts in a time-bound manner, but nothing much has happened. “Over 2,000 posts, predominately in colleges, were advertised in May last year. However, till date, only one college has started a selection process, that too, for only one discipline,” Ray said. “Forget fresh appointments, not even a single promotion has taken place in DU at least since 2008. The delay has caused unrest amongst teachers,” he said.

Members of both the Academic Council (AC) and the Executive Council (EC) claimed to have written to the Vice-Chancellor to look into the issues several times in the last few months. “We write to the V-C after every meeting, urging him to at least allow us to include issue of absorption, promotion and pension in our agenda. About 50 per cent teachers are ad-hocs and 30 per cent have been waiting for promotions for years. How can the administration act like a mute spectator?” asked Rajesh Jha, an EC member. “This delay reveals a callous approach towards the future of a large numbers of teachers working on ad-hoc basis,” he said. 

Despite several attempts, VC Yogesh Tyagi’s office did not respond DNA’s questions. However, senior officials at the University claimed that things are finally moving. “Whenever we start any process, a new order comes from UGC and things get delayed. The process of appointments is on. We are trying to speed it up,” an official said.

Meanwhile, on February 28, DUTA members decided to intensify its agitation by involving students and mobilising public opinion on the issue of absorption of ad-hoc and temporary teachers, and resolution of issues related to promotions and pensions. “With a very heavy heart, we are once again going to observe a five-day strike from March 19,” Ray said.

Jawaharlal Nehru University 

On February 18, hundreds of JNU teachers held “Akrosh Dharna” on the campus against the “undemocratic and unilateral” functioning of the administration. The protest call was given by the office bearers of the JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) in the backdrop of an ongoing row over compulsory attendance being implemented by V-C Jagadesh Kumar. However, the issue of attendance is “just the tip of the iceberg”. Teachers highlighted several instances in the last two years when the administration not only deferred discussions on “important issues” during Academic Council (AC) meetings, but also allegedly overruled opinions given by the elected members of the primary decision-making body.  

“There has been a complete procedural violation in academic decision making in the last one year. The way in which selection committees are being set up for faculty appointments… administrative posts are being filled up in completely arbitrary ways… these are collectively directed at concentrating power in the hands of the higher leadership,” said JNUTA president Sonajharia Minz. 

Teachers have been raising red-flags over several academic decisions taken by the administration. “The V-C said that the compulsory attendance rule was unanimously passed during an AC meeting on December 1, last year.

However, it’s not even a part of the agenda. Several AC members and centres raised objections, but they were not taken into consideration,” Minz said. The administration has not called another AC meeting since then.

On Wednesday, during an Executive Council meeting, the administration decided to replace all heads of the departments/centres who have not complied with or refused to implement the attendance system. As many as seven Deans/HoDs have come under the scanner. “Compliance, it appears, is henceforth to be the sole certification for occupying an administrative post,” said JNUTA member Sudhir Kumar Sobti. Kavita Singh, Dean of School of Arts and Aesthetics, who has also been served a notice of replacement, said, ”The person replacing me is from the Centre for Persian Studies. This clearly shows the ‘academic interest’ of the administration in taking such decisions.”

The V-C did not respond to DNA’s questions, but an official in his office said, “It’s the duty of teachers to cooperate with the administration in implementing all decision taken in academic interest.” Since December 2016, JNU teachers and students have been protesting over the administration’s decisions: seat cut; the VC’s move to give himself power to nominate experts to selection committees; the attendance rule; and the latest change in hostel and mess fee structure.

JNU protests 

• Compulsory attendance is just one issue. Teachers highlight several instances in the last two years when the administration not only deferred discussions on ‘important issues’ during Academic Council meetings, but also overruled opinions given by the elected members of the primary decision-making body.  

There’s been a complete procedural violation in academic decision making in the past one year. The way in which selection committees are set up for faculty appointments… admin posts are being filled up in completely arbitrary ways… these are collectively directed at concentrating power in the hands of the higher leadership
—Sonajharia Minz, JNUTA president

The DU crisis

• Protests over alleged irregularities in the appointment of 126 assistant professors
• 2,000 posts were advertised in May last year. However, only one college has started selection process 50% teachers are ad-hocs and 30% waiting for promotions for years

We have been struggling with several issues, that could have been easily addressed by the university. With a very heavy heart, we are once again going to observe a five-day strike from March 19
—Rajib Ray, DUTA) president