DUTA protests at VC office against 'pattern of assistance'; to continue DU shut down

NEW DELHI: The Delhi University Teachers' Association on Tuesday held a protest at the vice chancellor's office, demanding withdrawal of the 'Pattern of Assistance' document and revocation of the appointment of senior administrative officers to 12 Delhi government-funded colleges of the varsity.

The teachers' union also announced to continue the university shut down, which began on March 11, until their demands are met.

It had earlier alleged that through the 'Pattern of Assistance' document issued by the Directorate of Higher Education, the city government was attempting to "find ways of disaffiliating them from Delhi University".

"The Pattern of Assistance document refers to these 12 colleges as '100 per cent funded Delhi government sponsored colleges affiliated to the University of Delhi'.

This is absolutely wrong as these are constituent colleges of the university," the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) had said in a statement on March 18.

DUTA also raised demands to revoke an order from the Finance Department that gives senior administrative officers additional charge of the 12 colleges fully funded by the Delhi government.

"The University of Delhi has no such provisions and the Office of the Principal is more than adequate and capable of handling the administrative functioning in each of these 12 colleges," it said.

The teachers' body alleged that the Delhi government is attempting to take the "12 colleges out of Delhi University and run them on self-financing mode to escape government funding".

It also asked for assurance that there will be no delay in the release of grant-in-aid in the future.