Delhi varsity teachers to call off strike, assure court
By IANSFriday, October 29, 2010
NEW DELHI - The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) Friday informed the Delhi High Court that it will withdraw its strike against implementation of the semester system.
Counsel appearing for the DUTA V.K. Rao assured a division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan that the strike will be withdrawn. Counsel told the bench that the association will appeal to its members to resume the classes.
Rao argued that the teachers had a right to go on strike as a mode of protest against the university. However, the bench asked the lawyer to file a detailed affidavit along with the Supreme Court rulings on the teachers strike by Nov 11, the next date of hearing.
The judges asked the association not to hold the students careers to ransom but to follow the university rules.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Professor M.R. Gupta seeking a direction for action against teachers who have been on strike since Oct 25. He informed the bench that the students’ exams were scheduled in December nd the teachers’ strike would affect their academic year.
The teachers have been protesting against implementation of the semester system by the university at the undergraduate level in science courses from the current academic year.
