Merit, age must determine seniority of teachers regardless of their social categories, recommends DU panel

The report prepared by a high-level committee will be placed for approval at the Executive Council meeting scheduled on May 23.
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Delhi University (DU) has proposed the implementation of a uniform policy to determine the seniority of teachers to address concerns regarding the promotion policy.

The proposal places as the foremost criterion the rankings or merit of a faculty member, followed by their age, irrespective of whether they belong to the general category, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs) or Scheduled Tribes (STs).

It will be placed for approval in the upcoming meeting of the Executive Council, the university’s highest decision-making body, on May 23.

“The lack of a standardised framework for determining seniority, especially in promotions, when nominating senior-most faculty members for academic committees and statutory bodies, led the university to constitute a high-level committee in July 2024 to examine the issue and recommend a consistent policy,” said a senior official.

The panel is chaired by the Dean of Colleges and includes principals of major colleges, members of the Executive and Academic Councils, and representatives from SC, ST, and OBC communities.

The official added that the committee held a total of five internal meetings over a year before submitting the detailed proposal.

Since the current reservation policy applies only to recruitment and not to promotions, the committee recommendations, if accepted, will not impact the existing reservation policy, the official also said.

‘Need consistent policy’

“The committee, after taking all aspects into consideration, opined that if the relative merit stands equal, the seniority of teachers for all purposes may be determined on the basis of age/date of birth,” reads the report.

It adds that this process will continue till all ranks are exhausted.

Detailing the need to have a consistent policy, the high-level panel said, “There have been a lot of concerns/accusations and ambiguity among colleges as to which methodology is to be adopted while determining the seniority of teachers within the department and seniority across departments of any respective college.”