Officials announced on Friday that Delhi University has appealed to the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the approval of over 3,000 additional teaching and non-teaching positions across 46 colleges. This request aims to maintain the student-teacher ratio, which has been affected by the implementation of a 10% reservation for the EWS (Economically Weaker Section) category during admissions.
Additionally, the university has approached the Department of Higher Education under the Delhi government, urging them to grant several teaching and non-teaching posts across 12 government-funded colleges. A senior official from the university informed PTI (Press Trust of India) that letters have been dispatched to both the UGC and the Delhi government, listing the colleges requiring additional staff to maintain the student-teacher ratio.
Moreover, the university has appealed for financial assistance from the government and the UGC to address this matter. The principals of respective colleges have compiled proposals outlining the required number of teaching positions based on the appropriate teacher-student ratio.
The letter sent to the UGC includes a list of 46 colleges, such as Ramjas College, Kirori Mal College, Hans Raj College, and Miranda House, indicating their need for additional teaching and non-teaching staff. The letter, a copy of which news agency PTI cited, highlights a total requirement of 3,035 teaching and non-teaching positions across the mentioned colleges.
Among these colleges, the highest number of additional teaching positions is sought by Hansraj College (92), followed by Gargi College (91). Three colleges, namely Deshbandhu College (80), Dyal Singh College (81), and University College of Medical Sciences (80), require 80 or more teachers. Similarly, Hindu College and University College of Medical Sciences need the maximum number of non-teaching staff (75).
Last year, the university requested information from its colleges regarding the additional teaching and non-teaching staff required to manage the “additional pressure” resulting from the implementation of the 10% reservation for the economically weaker section (EWS) category during admissions. The letter addressed to the UGC stated, “The Principals/Directors of the Colleges/Institutions have prepared the proposal for an additional number of teaching posts based on appropriate teacher-student ratio.” It further emphasized the need for timely approval of these additional posts and grants for the colleges affiliated with the University of Delhi.
Similarly, in a letter to the Delhi government, the university presented a list of 12 colleges along with the necessary teaching and non-teaching staff required. According to this list, a total of 804 positions need to be sanctioned across the 12 colleges, comprising 435 teaching posts and 369 non-teaching posts.
Acharya Narendra Dev College, among the government-funded colleges, requires the highest number of additional teaching (72) and non-teaching (81) staff members.
The introduction of a 10% reservation for the EWS category has led to an increase in the number of student admissions, while the count of teaching and non-teaching staff has remained the same, as stated by the DU official. The reservation for EWS in admissions to all colleges and universities was implemented in 2019.
(With PTI inputs)
