There has been an uproar in the University of Delhi over a recently issued public notice of the University Grants Commission. The notice states that 40 percent of the course will be taught online very soon.
Many teacher organizations including DUTA protested
Delhi University Teachers Association President Rajib Ray said that a large section is still out of reach of smartphones, tablets. What will happen to the recruitment process of teachers through online studies? The future of more than 4500 ad hoc teachers in DU will be affected.
The Academic for Action and Development has also issued a statement on this whole matter and expressed strong opposition. AAD has said that in DU alone, three quarters of SC, ST, OBC, EWS, PWD students are from remote areas who do not have very good internet facilities.
National Sample Survey on 2014
According to the National Sample Survey (2014), only 27 percent of households in India have members who have access to the Internet. Owning a smartphone does not mean having access to a digital medium.
Effectively, only 12.5 percent of households have internet at home computers. In the midst of an epidemic, the UGC is intent on ending classroom teaching and practical training for students.