Say No to No Say: Delhi University Students and Teachers Gather to Protest against Semesterization

Photo: New Socialist Initiative, DU

Outside the Delhi University Arts Faculty, teachers and students sported T-shirts saying ‘Say No to No Say’, lighting candles , singing songs of protest.

Photo: New Socialist Initiative, DU

The vigil was organized by Joint Action Body against semesterization to protest against the recent spate of unsavoury and coercive tactics being employed by the University administration in pushing forward the process of semesterization in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Among these, the administration has tried to intimidate individual Heads of Departments with threats of punitive action, if they do not ensure that their respective Committees of Courses do not cooperate in the process of semesterization. It has demanded the names of individual committee members, as well as the nature of their votes, on this matter. These measures are not only excessive, they are well beyond the administrative brief of the University administration. Rather, they constitute a blatant and unprecedented attempt to influence and manipulate the decisions of statutory academic bodies, as well as to suppress any legitimate dissent against the completely irrational policies and procedures being adopted by the University. Further, they are also attempts to illegitimately collate data about teachers that may be misused against them in a court of law. As such, these measures directly impinge on the academic autonomy of individuals, faculties and departments of the University.

The Joint Action Body strongly condemned these actions of the University administration, and demanded that it respect the academic autonomy and freedom of the University’s institutions and statutory bodies.

Photo: New Socialist Initiative, DU

Photo: New Socialist Initiative, DU

Photo: New Socialist Initiative, DU

Photo: New Socialist Initiative, DU

Photo: New Socialist Initiative, DU

Photo: New Socialist Initiative, DU

Photo: New Socialist Initiative, DU