Zero job security, few salary perks: Life of an ad hoc teacher at DU

On Monday, students at Kirori Mal College had protested in support of their teacher, demanding that “Pankaj sir” be brought back. Said Sarma: “I was also a student at KMC. I’ve given 10 years as a teacher to the institution, and yet, I’m being thrown out like this. The financial aspect is there now… the EMIs, a family to support. I can give interviews for positions in other colleges, but if I couldn’t get this position where I have already served for so many years, I don’t have any hope of landing a position elsewhere, also because I don’t have political connections. There is no transparency and the interviews are a farce.”

In the political science department, there were five teachers and interviews were being held for seven permanent posts. “There is no reason to believe that working faculty could not have been retained,” he added.

Interviews to fill permanent positions are now underway at DU colleges, as part of a recruitment process that began in the second half of 2022.

The positions are advertised and applicants are screened by a screening committee comprising the principal of the college, two teachers of the relevant subject to be nominated by the principal, one teacher from a related department to be nominated by the principal, and an academician representing SC/ST/OBC/ minorities/women/persons with disability if none of the other members of the committee belong to the category, according to advertisements for these positions.

Interviews are then held by a selection committee. UGC Regulations that are incorporated under the university’s ordinances say that the selection committee for assistant professors in colleges will comprise the principal of the college; chairperson of the governing body of the college or their nominee; head of department of the subject in the college; two nominees of the V-C; two subject experts not connected with the college; and an academician representing the SC/ST/OBC/minority communities/women or differently abled categories, if any of the other members of the selection committee do not belong to these categories.

The permanent positions that are being filled are divided into different categories — unreserved, SC, ST, OBC, economically weaker sections, and persons with disability, according to advertisements issued last year.

A bolt from the blue.

According to displaced ad hoc teachers, since the interview is key to selection, the composition of the selection committee is significant in determining who gets the position. Teachers said that in a few colleges, all ad hoc teachers in some departments have been displaced. “I had a 20-minute-long interview. When it comes to internal candidates, the college already knows… the teacher-in-charge who is part of the selection committee knows what that ad hoc teacher stands for,” said Sarma.

Another teacher who was displaced earlier this month after serving for 12 years, and did not want to be named, said a similar process of an interview before a panel was followed when ad hocs were hired. “It is earth shattering for us, because it is not being done due to quality concerns. I have served in my prime, and I’m now in my 40s. We have toiled for the department. All the weightage is given to the interview and the selection committee, and calibre and experience are not considered… this is flawed. Those of us who have done years of research cannot be compared with a teacher who has recently completed their MA,” said the teacher.

On what happens next, the teacher added, “I have a few interviews lined up, but now it is only a ritual of appearing before the committee, since I don’t think I will be selected. Affiliations matter.”

A recently displaced ad hoc teacher who has been working since 2011 referred to it as a “use and throw policy”. “We have served for so long, with a heavy workload. We have participated in everything from seminars to functions and placement cells. In some cases, teachers with little or no experience are being hired now. I have worked so hard, and my interview was only 4-5 minutes long. If there are complaints against me or something like that, it may have made sense. But there is no such thing. Some of us have already applied to other colleges, but getting in there is also going to be difficult. In all colleges it is the same, people with certain political affiliations are being appointed,” said the teacher.

“With my spouse not working due to downsizing of a company, I was the only earning member. My child is to be admitted in school, but I’m not even getting that done for now, since I’ll have to look my income,” the teacher added.

An ad hoc teacher at Daulat Ram College who had been teaching for four years also pointed to a lack of hope in interviews that have been scheduled since the one that led to displacement earlier this year: “The whole thing is arbitrary. I appear in interviews when I get calls, but I am also considering exiting academics or moving abroad.”

A teacher who was displaced last year after nine years of service and has been working as guest faculty elsewhere since then, has not given up hope. “I have been giving interviews. Positions are still vacant. Somebody who is displaced from one college may be hired in another. Recruitments seem to be made based on many factors that are still not entirely known. But my interviews have been going well, so maybe in one college or the other it will work out,” the teacher said. Guest faculty is paid per lecture.

The basic pay structure of ad hoc teachers is the same as those in permanent positions. They are, however, not entitled to increments.

Rajesh Jha, former member of the DU Executive Council, said, “The pay grade is the same, along with DA and HRA. But ad hocs don’t get any increments. Ad hocs are appointed for four months at a time and their term extended after that. They get three days of casual leave and one day of earned leave for their four-month term. They don’t get leave for professional upgradation like for orientations or faculty development programmes. Maternity leave has been granted to them recently.”

Jha added: “People with experience are being side-lined by the selection committees. Recruitments were stalled altogether, which is why so many ad hoc teachers are working in the university. In 2013-14, teachers were hired for permanent positions in colleges. In some departments, appointments were made in 2019 as well. The problem is that there is such a large number of ad hoc teachers and they have been working for such a long time. If you remove them now, where will they go.”

Qualifications for applicants to the post of assistant professor include a master’s degree with 55% marks from an Indian university or an equivalent degree from an accredited foreign university, and clearing the National Eligibility Test (NET), or a PhD from a foreign university or institution with a ranking among the top 500 in the world university rankings.

“The selection procedure for permanent teachers started in DU departments from April 1, 2022. The selection procedure for colleges started this February. Approximately, about 2,000 teachers have been appointed permanently up until now in all colleges. There are about 4,500-5,000 posts available in the colleges,” said DU Registrar Vikas Gupta.

He further stated that there are about 25-30 colleges where the selection procedure has not yet started and there are many more vacancies pending to be filled this year.