In a significant victory, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-backed National Democratic Teacher’s Front (NDTF) candidate, AK Bhagi, has emerged triumphant in the Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) elections, securing the position of president. Bhagi, a professor at Dyal Singh College for over two decades, secured a convincing win with a margin of 395 votes, showcasing a resounding endorsement by nearly 85.5% of the 9,500 voters who actively participated in the election on Wednesday.
NDTF vs. D.U.T.A: A Fierce Battle
The elections witnessed a head-to-head contest between two prominent candidates: AK Bhagi representing the NDTF and Aditya Narayan Misra, the face of the Democratic United Teacher’s Alliance (D.U.T.A). The D.U.T.A, a coalition of approximately nine teacher’s organizations, united this year to challenge the NDTF’s dominance. The final tally revealed 4,182 votes in favor of Bhagi and 3,787 votes in support of Misra.
Agenda for the New DUTA President
Professor Bhagi has outlined a comprehensive agenda for his tenure as DUTA president, emphasizing key priorities such as the regularisation of ad-hoc teachers, the promotion of teachers, and the timely allocation of grants to the 12 Delhi government-funded colleges. He further highlighted DUTA’s commitment to exerting pressure on the Delhi government to ensure the punctual release of grants and salaries to these colleges. In the event of any delays, DUTA intends to approach the Education Ministry and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to propose taking direct control of these colleges.
DUTA’s Goals
Aditya Narayan Misra, a three-time DUTA president, campaigned on the imperative issue of regularising ad-hoc teachers during this academic session. He expressed concerns over several challenges faced by the Delhi University Teachers’ Association, including the displacement of serving ad-hoc teachers, instances of corruption, and the influence of political cronyism on interviews for permanent teaching positions. Elected Academic Council Member, Assistant Professor Maya John, a part of the D.U.T.A alliance, emphasized that despite attempts to project overwhelming support for the incumbent DUTA leadership, nearly half of the voting teachers on September 27 favored change. The D.U.T.A plans to continue its legitimate struggle as a pressure group and responsible opposition within the association.
Reactions from Elected Members
Nandita Narain, president of the Democratic Teacher’s Front (DTF), reported that three DTF candidates—Abha Dev Habib, Rudrashish Chakravarty, and Sanjeev Kaushal—secured executive member positions, while Manoj Kumar narrowly missed out. Three candidates from the All-India Democratic Teachers’ Association (AADTA)—Anand Prakash, Bimlendu, and Deo Nandan—also achieved victory, alongside N. Sachin.
Future Endeavors
The newly elected DUTA leadership’s future endeavors include a continued struggle against the National Education Policy (NEP), privatization efforts, issues of displacement, and advocating for the reinstatement of the old pension scheme and recognition of past service contributions. Nandita Narain reaffirmed their commitment to these causes, indicating that the fight for educational equity and teachers’ rights will persist.
