DU teachers, students protest against FYUP // AAP's Sisodia seeks rollback of 4-yr course at DU

By Dilip -
Angry at the promotion of the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) at Delhi University fest “Antardhvani” and re-enforcing their demand for roll-back of the new programme, the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) took out a protest march to the Parliament and sat on a dharna at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday. “The DUTA also highlighted the manner in which the government is trying to deviously introduce the contract system in teaching by not filling the 4,000-plus vacancies and excluding most of the existing ad hoc teachers by allowing the university to impose arbitrary screening criteria and an incorrect reservations roster. The DUTA organised this protest march along with various students’ organisations,” said DUTA president Nandita Narain. She added that prominent leaders like Manish Sisodia of the AAP and Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also joined the protest. “We have resolved to continue the struggle with greater intensity till the principal demands of the teachers and students are met,” said DUTA executive member Saikat Ghosh.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) came out in support of the DUTA in their ongoing agitation, as well as their fight against the semester system some years ago. “We have been witnessing attacks on the autonomy of the Delhi University teachers in the last few years while introducing the semester system for the undergraduate courses and the new FYUP. These major changes have been brought about by undermining democratic bodies and ignoring the majority opinion of the university’s teachers and students. This majority opinion was demonstrated by the recent victory of those who have been opposed to these changes in both the students’ and the teachers’ elections,” said JNUTA president Arun Kumar. He added that they were distressed to hear that teachers who had opposed the FYUP were now being victimised in promotions & appointments. “This is an attack on the autonomy of academics,” said JNUTA secretary Dipendra Nath Das, adding that they believed the semester system and the FYUP were not in the best interest of Delhi University and needed to be reviewed immediately.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/duta-protests-against-fyup-semester-system/article5704417.ece

AAP's Sisodia seeks rollback of 4-yr course at DU
Former education minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia on Tuesday extended support to hundreds of Delhi University (DU) students and teachers, as they marched from the Ramlila Ground to Parliament, demanding a rollback of the four-year undergraduate programme. Sisodia alleged the introduction of the four-year format at DU seemed to have taken place under a policy of the Central government to gradually privatise education in the country. “We have always raised concerns about the four-year course and demanded a rollback of the programme. I challenge the BJP and the Congress to state their stand on the issue. The four-year undergraduate programme is an anti-student measure. It goes against students, who come from economically weaker sections and who cannot afford to spend an additional year, considering how difficult it is to live in Delhi,” Sisodia said.
AAP leader and Lok Sabha candidate from Chandni Chowk Ashutosh said, “Some students had approached us with the issue before the AAP government resigned. If we come to power again, we will definitely take up the issue.” The AAP leaders shared the dais with CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury and BJP leader O P Kohli. While Kohli questioned the manner in which the university administration had brought about the four-year course, Yechury stressed on the need to fight attempts at commercialising education in the country. According to Delhi University Teachers’ Association president Nandita Narain, the indifference shown by the Central government on the issue would play a role in the Congress’ performance in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Students and teachers continue protests against FYUP
In what was labelled as a March towards Parliament, students and teachers marched from outside Zakir Husain College to the Parliament Street where they were joined by MPs, leaders of political parties, trade unions, women’s organizations and civil society bodies. Political leaders including Manish Sisodia and Ashutosh (AAP), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), OP Kohli (BJP), Tarun Kumar Mandal (SUCI-Communist), Udit Raj (SC/ST Federation), DP Tripathi (NCP), Kavita Krishnan (CPI-ML and AIPWA), Jagmati Sangwan (AIDWA) and Iqbal Singh Sindhu (AIFUCTO), All India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) joined the procession at Parliament Street. The March culminated in a massive Public Meeting next to the Parliament Street police Barricades.
The marchers not only demanded a roll-back of the FYUP but also a reversal of the education policies’ thrust towards commercialization and PPP model. Removal of VC Dinesh Singh and condemnation of the Government’s decision to award him with a Padma Shri after allowing him to destroy Delhi University were also put forward in the form of slogans and handbills distributed to the public.

Manish Sisodia addressed the issue of commercialization of education and large-scale contractualization in teaching jobs. He also criticized the DU VC’s disregard of all democratic norms and processes, as was recently evident in the controversy over the formation of Governing Bodies in the Delhi Government colleges. He underlined the need to build popular resistance against the Government’s commercialization agenda in Education and expressed the AAP’s commitment to fighting against FYUP.
http://dubeat.com/2014/02/students-teachers-continue-protests-fyup/

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