Delhi University.
Credit: DH Photo
New Delhi: A Delhi University notification prohibiting faculty members from leaving the city during semester breaks without applying for leave has drawn criticism from the teaching community.
In the notification dated September 5, the university administration said semester breaks are only for students and not teachers.
"If any teacher wishes to take leave during the semester break, the concerned teacher will be required to apply for appropriate leave for the period," read the notification issued by the Assistant Registrar of the university.
Objecting to the order and labelling it a "draconian" move, Abha Dev, Secretary of Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF), in a statement said, "The semester break is not a vacation period and therefore, teachers should take leave if going out of station. There is no academic justification for this notification. Many teachers are not from Delhi; they need to visit their families." Others use these small breaks for conferences, as they do not want to waste teaching time, Dev said.
"This mid-semester break coincides with the Diwali holiday and other public holidays. Now, DU expects teachers to use their leave to be with their families? Can DU be more anti-teacher?" she added.
Demanding the withdrawal of the notification, Mithuraaj Dhusiya, elected member of the Academic Council, said, "After the attempted drone-based surveillance of the university community, the attempted linking of teachers' promotions with students' feedback, and the attempted forcing of newly promoted associate professors and professors to teach 16 hours a week, now comes this—totally autocratic letter. This must be immediately rolled back."