The move comes after the DUTA urged the university colleges and departments to renew the appointment of such teachers for the 2022–2023 session.

According to officials, Delhi University on Monday instructed its colleges to continue using current ad hoc lecturers on normal terms “for the time being” for the academic year 2022–2023 until regular appointments were made. The action was taken in response to the DU Teachers’ Organization’s request that these instructors’ appointments to university colleges and departments be renewed for the 2022–2023 academic year.

The beginning of the next session of classes is set for July 20. “To prevent any displacement, we have requested colleges to keep all ad hoc instructors on board for the time being. While waiting for routine appointments to be set up, “Balaram Pani, the dean of colleges at Delhi University, spoke to PTI. Delhi Institution Teachers Association reports that there are currently more than 4,200 temporary instructors working in 66 colleges within the university (DUTA).

Ad hoc appointments are made for a maximum of four months in accordance with DU regulations. After following the proper procedure, a college may prolong the teacher’s service if the requirement is still there after four months. The university’s assistant registrar noted in a letter to various colleges that it would require extra time to assign teaching staff on a regular basis. “The university feels that the services of existing teaching staff appointed on an as-needed basis in accordance with the guidelines be not dispensed with or disengaged for the time being and they be allowed to continue on an as-needed basis on usual terms in the larger academic interests of students in various disciplines/subjects until the regular appointment of teaching staff is made,” the university states in its statement.

The colleges were asked by the university to follow the instruction. In the meantime, DUTA has urged all department heads and principals to abide by the varsity’s instructions. Ad hoc teachers must receive their summer salaries and ex-gratia payments as soon as possible, according to DUTA secretary Dr Surender Singh. As the new academic session is set to start on July 20, Academic Council member Naveen Gaur welcomed the directive and said it would aid in reuniting all ad hoc professors.

But not all educators are happy with the instruction. According to Rudrashish Chakraborty, a professor at Kirori Mal College, the letter sent by the administration is only a “temporary reprieve” for the ad hoc professors who have been employed across the university’s campuses for years. “However, this DU announcement does not address the real problem of the lowering of required English classes. The DU administration has published a letter today in an effort to cover up a decision that is both anti-teacher and anti-student “said he.