Hundreds of teachers from across the country participated in an ‘Aakrosh Rally’ organised by the Joint Forum for Academic and Social Justice on Thursday from Mandi House to Parliament Street to protest against the imposition of department/ subject-wise roster in place of college/ university-wise roster in educational institutions.
Huge support
The teachers received support from politicians, students, researchers, activists and others while demanding in unison the restoration of the 200-point Reservation Roster taking college/university as a unit.
Political leaders from CPI (M), CPI, RJD, AAP, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, Congress, Samajwadi Party, CPI(ML) and others cut across political affiliations to support the teachers and addressed the gathering and offered support.
The teachers highlighted that the department-wise roster would seriously undermine attaining the constitutionally mandated reservation percentages for teachers from SC, ST and OBC categories in teaching jobs across the country.
“There will be a drastic reduction of teaching jobs for teachers from these categories with the department-wise roster as the size of departments are usually small,” said DUTA, which participated in the rally.
DUTA said that in the case of Delhi University, many of the over 4,000 teachers working in temporary and ad hoc capacity against posts identified for different categories are in danger of losing their jobs and livelihood.
Teachers accused the government of dragging its feet on the issue and demanded that the government came out with an ordinance/bill in the current budget session of Parliament to restore the 200-point college/university wise roster.