The Delhi High Court has issued notice in response to a plea challenging the appointment of teachers on a contract basis in universities governed by the UGC Regulations, 2018.
The petitioner, Saurav Narayan, contends that universities, including Delhi University (DU), are violating the regulations by appointing teachers on a temporary basis even when there are vacancies in permanent teaching staff posts.
The heart of the petition revolves around the plea for strict enforcement of Clause 13 of the University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and other Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2018.
This clause stipulates that teachers should only be appointed on a contract basis when absolutely necessary.
The petitioner, specifically highlighting the Faculty of Law at Delhi University, points out that out of 287 sanctioned posts for teaching staff on a permanent/regular basis, only 129 are filled according to the information available on the University’s website.
The petitioner claims that over 35 per cent of teachers (Guest Faculty) were recruited on a contract/temporary basis in October 2023 alone, in violation of the UGC Regulations, 2018.
Supporting the case, the petitioner cites the Union of India’s response to a Lok Sabha question, revealing 900 vacancies in teaching posts at Delhi University as of April 1, 2022.
Additionally, a Supreme Court observation stresses the concern over institutions like National Law Universities relying excessively on contractual teachers.
The petitioner, who had made two representations on the issue before filing the petition, alleges that no action was taken. Instead, Delhi University advertised 70 positions of Guest Faculty on October 11, 2023, concerning the Faculty of Law.
Justice Subramonium Prasad has posted the matter for next hearing on March 13, 2024.
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