NEW DELHI: Students of St Stephens and Hindu College are protesting at Delhi University against the government move to grant autonomous status to the two colleges. On Tuesday, the students led by All India Students Association (AISA) protested against the meeting in the backdrop of the autonomous status being given to St Stephens and Hindu college among several others.

The protest started after the students claiming “closet meeting” with the Principal and the governing body of the two colleges with the Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javedkar, the minister is said to decide upon the future plans and the students.

St Stephens and Hindu college are among the six colleges from the Delhi University who are moving towards becoming autonomous.

“There was a meeting yesterday (Tuesday) where the governing body of Hindu College and the St. Stephens College met HRD Minister Prakash Javedkar. But all the stakeholders were not called in the issue”, said Madhurima Kundu, secretary of AISA’s DU wing. She adds, “There are reports that the UGC committee would be visiting on Thursday.”

The government says that the autonomous institution would have more autonomy to bring in new courses and foreign faculties. The universities can also decide their own syllabus, conduct their examinations and enrol foreign students.

While many students believe that "Autonomous status" has nothing to do with academic autonomy. Autonomy will be given only to increase fees of students and scuttle reservations.

“We are not against the educational autonomy, but we are against the 30-70 funding ratio, which is a step to do away with the government funding. The autonomous status would be a source of power for the colleges to increase fees and do away with reservations”, said Kundu.

The Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) and the student bodies will organise a protest outside the University Grants Commission on Thursday. We will be doing protest tomorrow against the UGC. We have been protesting with the students for the last few days. It is the duty of the UGC and the Ministry to take everybody into consideration and have a formal discussion”, said Rajib Ray, President, Delhi University Teacher’s Association.

The students along with the DUTA will protest on Thursday outside the UGC against the autonomous move.

Meanwhile, Delhi University teachers are protesting for the past month against the UGC’s new guidelines.Reportedly, University’s teachers are not happy with the graded autonomy policy, autonomous college scheme and change in roster policy, which will negatively affect the SC/ST teachers. Teachers also conclude that this step will induce privatisation in the university and reduced the funding of the university.

In a letter to the Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi DUTA president Rajib Ray wrote: “We wish to express our dismay and anguish over the fact that most of the issues of teachers remain unresolved even after more than two years since you [VC] assumed office. Teachers have been waiting for appointments, promotions and pensions but unfortunately, there is no movement on these issues.

This is not the first time that DUTA and administration are at loggerheads. In March, DUTA protested against the administration raising the same issues. The protest was later concluded with protestors signing an online petition handed over to the Prime Minister.

In February, University teachers protested the irregularity in the appointment of 126 assistant professors in the faculty of law and did not take the classes in all departments.

In November 2017, teachers wore a black badge and held staff association meetings to protest the downgrading of the teaching profession and continuous attack on public funded higher education, aimed at its dismantling.

This game of tic-tac-toe between the teachers and administration has had an impact on students. “I think this entire protest will again leave us somehow affected, as it has in the past for various other reasons. Our admission procedures for masters begin in the June – July in various colleges, any delay in the results will be directly proportional to the procedure.” Said Deboleena Chakrobarty, final year student at the University of Delhi.

In light of the latest developments, University of Delhi released a press notification and requested teachers to participate in the evaluation of the answer sheets. The press notification also said that delay in the result will create problems for final year students since they have to submit their results for applying in different universities of the India and abroad.

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