DU’s extended 8-to-8 college hours spark outrage, called anti-teacher and anti-student

Delhi University has directed all its colleges to function between 8 am and 8 pm, as per a notification issued on July 31.

The decision was approved during the Executive Council meeting held on July 12 and is intended to ensure “optimal utilization of infrastructure and human resources.”

The notification mandates staggered shifts for teaching and administrative staff.

It also instructs colleges to assign senior faculty to mentor fourth-year students under the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), which begins its first full batch this academic year.

The university encourages institutions to hire guest faculty if they require additional teaching support, especially for first-year courses.

However, the move has sparked strong opposition from faculty members who say the extended hours raise concerns about workload, safety, and educational quality.

“The 8 am to 8 pm schedule of the colleges has now got an official stamp of approval from the university, thereby forcing the colleges to adopt such a draconian, anti-teacher, and anti-student notification,” said Rudrashish Chakraborty, associate professor at Kirori Mal College.

He pointed out the lack of proper working spaces for teachers and highlighted the risks of traveling late in the evening.

Abha Dev Habib, a faculty member at Miranda House, questioned the policy’s long-term impact on teaching quality, especially for incoming students.

“This is no way to welcome a new batch into a university or discipline,” she said, expressing concern over the increased reliance on guest lecturers.

Many faculty believe the university is imposing major operational changes without first addressing infrastructure gaps and staff shortages.

With student numbers rising under FYUP, educators argue that planning should focus more on academic support than extended scheduling.