DPCC President Shri Devender Yadav appeals to the teaching community to vote and elect the candidates of the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on May 25, 2024 in the Lok Sabha elections to bring a pro-education and pro-employee government at the Centre.

 Indian National Teachers’ Congress (INTEC) organized a Town Hall Meet in Delhi University. The meeting discussed various issues concerning Academic fraternity of colleges and universities and the general situation of higher education and academia in the country. Key issues taken for discussion included the dangers of NEP 2020, the delay in the announcement of 8th pay commission, the urgent need for reinstating Old Pension Scheme, the decrease in financial aid to education institutions, the delay in salaries to employees in colleges and universities, the delay in promotions of teachers, the concerns of contractual staff, and the government onslaught on academic freedom. Several teachers placed their views on these issues .

 

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) President Shri Devender Yadav and Prof. Anand Kumar of Jawaharlal Nehru University addressed the gathering and interacted with teachers from colleges and university departments. The leaders ensured that Indian National Congress will always work for the rights of government employees. In the presence of the leaders, many new teachers under the leadership of Dr. Trivendra Chumbak (JOINT SECRETARY, DUTA)and Dr. Md. Mohsin (KM College) joined INTEC and pledged to strengthen INTEC and the Congress Party.

 

Shri Devender Yadav, President, DDPCC shared some worries about the direction our government's education policies are taking, particularly in higher education. It is important that we, as informed citizens, discuss and advocate for policies that uphold the interests of all stakeholders, especially the economically underprivileged sections of the society and the employees in government-funded higher education institutions.

 

You know that there are pressing issues concerning the education sector. In the last one decade, the central government brought many policies that favour privatization and commercialization of education. While the government's focus on private investment may seem like a good idea, it often comes at the expense of public-funded institutions. Academic freedom is getting suppressed and funding is gradually deducted and delayed in centrally funded higher education institutions. While the government disregards centrally funded institutions on the one hand, the number of private universities are growing fast in the country. In the last five years alone, nearly 140 private universities have been set up as per reports.

 

There has been a marked decline in the delivery of grant in aid to central government funded higher education institutions in recent years. Since 2015, students’ annual fee has been hiked multiple times across institutions. Huge fee hikes in IITs, JNU, and DU are prime examples. The decreasing funding for public institutions affects not only students but also impacts the livelihoods of employees within these institutions. Budget cuts mean fewer resources, heavier workloads, and low morale among educators and support staff. This not only harms the quality of education but also the well-being of those who dedicate themselves to educating our future generations.

 

Here, you can clearly see that the policies of the BJP government like NEP, HEFA, foreign university bill, increasing focus on private universities, etc. threaten the accessibility and affordability of higher education for economically underprivileged students while also putting the job security of employees in government funded institutions at risk.

 

Moreover, the government's focus on things like rankings and performance metrics can lead to a narrow view of education. Instead of valuing aspects like critical thinking and creativity, there is too much emphasis on numbers. This does not capture the real purpose of the teaching-learning process.

 

It is imperative that we, as a society, demand policies that prioritize the common good and ensure equitable access to quality education for all. We must advocate for increased public investment in education, strong safeguards against commercialization, and measures to support the welfare of educators and staff.

 

As concerned citizens, we have a responsibility to hold our government accountable for its actions. We need policies that prioritize everyone's right to a quality education and support our educators. That means more investment in public education, safeguards against commercialization, and looking after the people who work in education.

 

You know that the Indian National Congress is a party that paved the way for increased literacy and higher education institutions in the country. During the Eleventh Plan Period (2007-2012), the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, led Dr. Manmohan Singh, established 30 new central universities, doubling the number of total central universities in the country. The UPA government also established many other higher education institutions in the country and heavily increased funding to higher education sector.

 

Dear friend, it is important that educators like you take a lead in enlightening the public about the need for government funded quality higher education. I appeal to you to vote and elect candidates of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on 25th May 2024 for bringing a pro-education and pro-employee government at the Centre so that our great nation can grow to become a leading education hub in the world. Thank you. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.

 

The Chief Reporter,