Press Release, 1.9.2017

Teachers of Delhi University have given the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) an historic mandate in the DUTA elections. The DTF’s candidate Rajib Ray defeated the closest rival from NDTF with a decisive margin of 261 votes.

Three candidates from the DTF’s Executive panel, Biswajit Mohanty, Mithuraaj Dhusiya and Najma Rehmani were also elected to the DUTA Executive.

The DTF has won at a time when the Central Government has chosen to unleash the worst possible set of policy changes based on a blueprint prepared by the NITI Aayog. The election viictory is a mandate against the Government’s push towards commercialisation and dismantling of public funded education through schemes like HEFA, Self Financing Courses, MOOCS, SWAYAM and Graded Autonomy. It is a mandate to defend the rights and dignity of teachers.

The DTF is committed to fight for speedy permanent appointments, ensuring long overdue promotions, an end to the severe harassment inflicted on teachers by withholding pensions, and a just pay revision wih improved service conditions without any further delay.

The DTF will make all efforts to build united struggles in defence of public education and for better service conditions. It is committed to unite all sections of teachers both within the University and across all central universities to form a nation-wide opposition against the Government’s anti-education policies and attack on permanent jobs, promotions and pensions.

This is the fourth consecutive victory of the DTF in the DUTA elections which is a record in the DUTA’s history. It is a testimony of DTF’s commitment to an honest and uncompromising struggle on issues of collective interest which has been recognised by the teachers. This further increases the DTF’s responsibility which it is committed to uphold.

This historic victory in the golden jubilee year of DUTA is also the most fitting tribute to the history of the teachers’ movement in the last 50 years. Teachers have reposed faith in upholding the ethos of their union against the policy assault on higher education.