DU students, teachers continue stir over financial autonomy

New Delhi: Holding protests in various colleges, Delhi University students and teachers said the move was a step towards privatisation of public-funded institution. Meanwhile, several others expressed concerns that the move will make higher education more expensive in the country as it will allow self-financed courses and depart from public accountability.

The agitating professors said that the Delhi University has been saved from this curse for the time-being owing to the valiant struggle launched by the teachers and students under the banner of DUTA. "we will fight back six anti-people bills on higher education and it will force the government to rethink about the graded autonomy of the scheme. The fight is on, it may get tougher than this but we are fully aware of the implications and we are fighting," Rajiv Ray, president, Delhi University Teachers' Association, said.

On Tuesday, University Grants Commission's decision to grant graded autonomy to 60 institutions of higher education has invited criticism from various quarters with many teachers and academicians calling it merely "financial autonomy". In a circular, the UGC, had granted degrees of autonomy to 52 universities and 8 colleges that will allow them to undertake many decisions on their own. "It will be remembered as a black day in the history of higher education in India," said, a senior professor of Delhi University.

The professor alleged that due to tremendous pressure, the UGC announced the autonomy which has nothing to do with the freedom to teach and learn and engage with ideas but it will give financial autonomy to administrations and management bodies of universities and colleges so that they can start self-financed courses and hike student-fees at will.