The conflict between Delhi University teachers and the state government goes beyond the non-payment of salaries

• Delhi University teachers marched to the home of the national capital’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on March 15.
• According to Delhi University Teachers Union (DUTA), the issue of funding goes beyond the non-payment of salaries — it is now a recurring plot point in the Delhi government’s attempts to divest.
• Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider India.

Teachers at one of the best universities in India, Delhi University, are not happy with the national capital’s government. They marched to the home of Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to raise their concerns, on Monday.

The conflict stems from 12 Delhi University colleges, which are fully funded by the Delhi government. But the funds have not been coming in as promised lately.

According to the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA), the problem goes beyond just the payment of salaries — it’s about control.

The latest stone on the mountain of controversy
The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) announced an action plan, which included a university-wide shut down, against the delay in release of grands on March 11.

Within a day, the Delhi government released ₹82.79 crore under salary heads and ₹9.5 crore as the fourth quarter installment.

However, this was not enough to appease the frustrated faculty. According to them, they should not have to beg for their salaries using threats and other means. The release of funds does not solve the sphere of problems that the colleges now have with the government.

The protestors who marched towards Kejriwal’s home weren’t able to reach the gates, but did hand over a memorandum addressed to him at the barricades where they were stopped.

The Delhi government’s move to divest
While these 12 colleges — which includes Maharaja Agrasen College, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College — get their funding from the Delhi government, they are still governed by the rules of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

And, the Delhi government is asking these colleges to adopt the ‘Pattern of Assistance’. The document refers to these colleges as ‘affiliated’ to Delhi University even though they are constituent colleges.

“The change in manner of referencing clearly strengthens the apprehension that the Delhi government, earlier tasked with maintaining these educational institutions, is now redefining itself as the sponsor of edu-business units to find ways of disaffiliating them from Delhi University,” said the letter from DUTA to the Delhi University Vice Chancellor.



According to DUTA, the ‘Draconian’ document is designed to redefine the association of the colleges in question. The organisation asserts that the Delhi government is trying to divest its funding responsibilities, but coercing colleges to gradually become self-sufficient.

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