Teachers protest DU notice denying them semester break

A controversial notification prohibiting Delhi University (DU) teachers from leaving the city during the mid-semester break from Oct 27 to Nov 3 without prior leave approval has resulted in significant backlash from faculty members. The notification, issued on September 5, specifies that the mid-semester break is exclusively for students, stating, “If any teacher wants to take leave during the semester break, the teacher concerned will be required to apply for appropriate leave for the period.”

Pankaj Garg, Chairman of the Indian National Teachers’ Congress (INTEC), condemned the university’s stance. He emphasised DU teachers were classified as vacation staff and were entitled to 12 earned leaves compared to 30 for non-vacation staff. “The university’s decision is an attempt to deny teachers their rightful vacation,” he argued.

Garg noted that over the years, DU had consistently squeezed teachers’ vacation rights. “Teachers are already facing difficulties due to overlapping semesters, with first-year admissions delayed due to late CUET results. The university must ensure that classes start on time and that teachers receive the three months of vacation they used to have,” he said.

Abha Dev Habib, secretary of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF),said, “This is yet another draconian ‘clarification’ issued by DU. Many teachers are not from Delhi and need to meet their families. Others use these small breaks for conferences,” she explained.