FEDCUTA Expresses Dissent over Govt Policies, Announces an All India Protest by End of January

Intensifying the protests against the unprecedented attacks on public funded education and higher educational institutions, the Federation of Central Universities’ Teachers’ Associations (FEDCUTA) has given a call for an all-India agitation by the end of January.

Taking a note on the proposed regulations like the one on Graded Autonomy, the setting up of Higher Education Financing Agency, the FEDCUTA said that the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development was forcing all Central universities to generate resources through self-financing courses and students’ fee hike. The FEDCUTA national executive has expressed its dissent over the policies.

The National Executive of FEDCUTA which was held at the Jamia Millia on Sunday also marked its opposition to the manner in which all these measures are being taken without any consultation with the stakeholders.

During the National Executive meet, the FEDCUTA executive reiterated its demand that all Central universities should have elected representation in statutory bodies and that permanent appointment for Vice-Chancellors should be made in all universities including Visva Bharathi.

The meet also discussed the 7th Pay Revision Notification for teachers and condemned the fact that for the first time ever, the Government has refused to make public the report of the UGC Pay Review Committee. The National Executive also noted with dismay that the increments for M.Phil/ PhD have been taken away and that the anomalies of the 6th Pay Revision have not been settled. This only implies a serious downgrading of the teaching profession.

Towards the end of January or beginning of February, FEDCUTA will launch an all-India agitation coordinating with All India Federation of University & College Teachers' Organisations (AIFUCTA) at the UGC and during the budget session of Parliament to highlight all the above demands, the FEDCUTA press release reads.

The nationwide protest call was given after a series of protests that took place in the recent months. On November 21, Delhi University Teachers Association had organised a march from Mandi House.

As the part of “Save higher education campaign”, all the affiliates of AIFUCTO and FEDCUTA will hold dharnas across the country on November 30. Along with the dharnas, teachers will organise signature campaigns and send the documents to the MHRD. Again on December 12, dharnas and rallies will take place at every state headquarters as the part of the ongoing campaign.