National Democratic Teachers Front retains stronghold; Prof V S Negi elected DUTA President
The election saw a turnout of 84 percent, with over 9,000 eligible teachers from Delhi University participating. Voting was conducted from 10 am to 5 pm across 32 booths at the Arts Faculty and Satyakam Bhawan.
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Of the 8,221 ballots cast, 7,989 were declared valid, while 232 votes were deemed invalid.Professor V.S. Negi of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) was elected president of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) on Thursday, securing 3,366 votes.
He clinched the victory by defeating two prominent rivals: Professor Rajib Ray of the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), a former DUTA president, who polled 2,728 votes; and Professor Rajesh K. Jha of the Academics for Action and Development Delhi Teachers’ Association (AADTA), who finished third with 1,420 votes.
Of the 8,221 ballots cast, 7,989 were declared valid, while 232 votes were deemed invalid.
The election saw a turnout of 84 percent, with over 9,000 eligible teachers from Delhi University participating. Voting was conducted from 10 am to 5 pm across 32 booths at the Arts Faculty and Satyakam Bhawan.
Negi’s win marks the third consecutive victory for NDTF, further consolidating the group’s influence in the university’s most powerful teachers’ body. In 2023, NDTF’s Ajay Kumar Bhagi was elected president. This year’s outcome extends the faction’s control at a time when the university is witnessing intense debate over faculty appointments, regularisation of ad-hoc teachers, and the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP).
The opposition, fragmented and unable to recreate the united front they had formed in 2021, entered the electoral contest divided. Alongside the president, 15 other members were elected to the DUTA executive. Here too, NDTF secured the largest share, winning six positions. Akanksha Khurana of NDTF topped the tally with 9,576 votes, followed by Ramanand Singh of the Indian National Teachers Congress (INTACH), who received 9,192 votes.
The other members elected to the DUTA executive are Sakshi Yadav (6,612), Dinesh Kataria (6,439), Amit Singh (6,388), Bimalendu (6,081), Sanjay Kumar (5,862), Biswajit Mohanty (5,658), Chhotu Ram Meena (5,632), Bhupendra Singh (5,338), Yash Yadav (5,283), V S Dixit (5,238), Devendra K Rana (4,521) and Dhanraj Meena (3,949).
The campaign revolved around long-standing concerns: demands for permanent faculty appointments and regularisation of ad-hoc teachers, the impact of NEP-mandated reforms on academic autonomy, and unresolved disputes over 12 Delhi government-funded colleges, where funding delays have left teachers without salaries for months.
For AADTA, aligned with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the row over the delayed release of funds has been particularly challenging, as AAP has struggled to regain footing after losing to the BJP in the Delhi Assembly elections earlier this year.
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