As Delhi University teachers continued their sit-in protest against implementation of the semester system, Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental Monday made it clear that talks cannot take place until the agitation ends. Delhi University Teacher's Association member Sanjay Kumar told IANS that the vice chancellor has sent a letter to the 19 agitating members of the university's academic council, giving time to meet on Tuesday. The letter, however, said the meeting will not take place till they stop their agitation.
"The VC has given time for Tuesday. However, the letter says he would meet only when the sit-in ends," he said, adding that the agitating teachers are yet to take a final decision on the issue.
"Members will discuss it and take a decision," Kumar said.
The 19 members are staging a sit-in in the academic council hall at the VC's office in the north campus since the past five days. In a special meeting last Thursday, the council approved the courses to be implemented from the 2010-2011 session. Stating that the decision was imposed upon them, these 19 members refused to leave the hall. They also alleged that the contents of the syllabi circulated among the members were quite different from the syllabi approved by the standing committee of the council Tuesday.
University teachers have been demanding that the semester system should not be implemented without discussions and consensus. Delhi University Teacher's Association president Aditya Narayan Misra told IANS that the university is not equipped to handle semester system at present.
"There are a lot of issues in the semester system. First of all the semester system is effective where the teacher student ratio is less. We have fewer teachers," he said.
"Secondly, the examination branch is not equipped to handle two exams in a year. They can not even publish the results of annual exams on time. How will they do it twice a year?" Misra said.
Calling it disadvantageous for students, Misra said it will also dilute the honours course.
"The USP of Delhi university is that we provide Honours courses. The semester system will dilute it. Ultimately the students will be the losers," he added.
