72% Ad Hoc Faculty Jobless After Delhi University's Permanent Posts Push

After a long-standing wait, the University of Delhi has started filling up the permanent positions that have been lying vacant for months and years. However, the appointment of permanent faculty across colleges has led to the removal of nearly 72% of ad hoc staff, some of whom have worked in these colleges for decades.

Around 70 to 80% of the Ad-hoc staff in top colleges such as Ramjas College, Laxmibai College and Hansraj College have been left unemployed due to the new move. Meanwhile, colleges like Daulat Ram and Swami Shraddhanand College witnessed a 50% Ad hoc staff displacement.

In Ramjas college, 160 teachers were teaching on ad hoc basis while the college only has 58 permanent teachers. Around 15 of 19 ad hoc teachers were removed from the Physics department, 10 out of 11 ad hoc teachers were removed from the Mathematics department and 4 out of 5 Ad hoc were removed from Statistics department.

Hansraj college has also removed 54 out of its 60 ad-hoc staff to fill up 86 permanent appointments. While all three ad hoc teachers in English and Economics departments have been let go, all six ad-hoc teachers were removed from the Botany department. Six out of 10 ad hoc teachers were displaced in the Commerce department and five teachers each were displaced from Physics, Zoology, and Mathmatics department.

Overall, 301 ad-hoc teachers out of 425 have been removed within a span of six months since the University of Delhi began its recruitment programme for permanent posts in August 2022.

Most of the ad hoc teachers removed have been teaching in Delhi University colleges for over 10 to 20 years.

"You cannot displace them in just two minutes. What will happen to them? Where will they go? Many of these teachers are above 40 and some are even nearing retirement. They provided their services despite knowing that they were not going to receive any facilities that the permanent staff do. We have been abandoned by the University and left in a lurch," said an ad hoc teacher who has been working with the university for nearly a decade and was displaced recently.  

Many displaced teachers also claim that the interviews conducted for the permanent post were not transparent. Some teachers have claimed that despite having experience and academic publications they were not selected.  

"We have lost out our livelihood, apart from that our passion has been snatched away from us. I don't know how will I manage if I don't get a job soon," another ad hoc teacher who was displaced told NDTV.

The Delhi Teachers' Front has written to the Delhi University Vice Chancellor demanding to intervene and ensuring that no more displacement happens in colleges.

Meanwhile dismissing claims of bias in interviews, Hansraj College Principal Professor Rama said: "All the interviews conducted in Hansraj college were based on merit. The procedure was smooth. 86 permanent appointments were made on the basis of merit. There was no foul play. All the candidates who could not make it through should stay positive."