New Delhi: Worsening work environment, targeted harassment, erosion of a culture of dialogue, stagnant careers, and shabby infrastructure are some of the concerns raised by the B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi Faculty Association (AUDFA), in a statement dated August 17.Raising the concern of a considerable decline in the number of applications, the AUDFA said: “Since 2020, applications to AUD’s UG and PG programmes have shrunk alarmingly. Interdisciplinary PG programmes that consistently received over 400 applications now receive a few dozen applications. Even the most popular programmes have seen reduced numbers of applicants.”It added that externally funded projects have dried up. “AUD faculty and Centres regularly undertook projects and consultancies worth around Rs 5-7 crores a year. This number barely reaches Rs 1 crore today.’Since 2020, more than 15 faculty members, including seasoned academics, have resigned from the university. Some have transitioned to private institutions, while others have departed from AUD without securing new positions due to the existing challenging work environment.Faculty members regularly face obstacles such as denied NOCs (no-objection certificates) for academic engagements, visa issues, and delayed approvals for academic positions. Cumbersome procedures for external projects are causing some faculty to abandon research opportunities to avoid red tape in applying for and carrying out external grants.The statement further noted that the posts of visiting faculty on contract (in lieu of regular faculty) have been disbanded in favour of guest faculty, leading to poorer remuneration for the concerned faculty and gaps in faculty support for programmes to run optimally.“Faculty is harassed by the administration on different grounds. There is a running thread of purposeful regressive reinterpretation of decisions taken by the administration and/or committees in the past. This leads to faculty being subjected to punitive action for no fault of theirs. Some of these actions have resulted in a sudden financial burden to the concerned faculty members, apart from loss of service and mental stress,” it said.Pointing out the erosion of a culture of dialogue in the university, it said, “Critical decisions that have long-term consequences for the university are not discussed with many of the stakeholders. Consultative and constructive review processes that were the norm have been abandoned.”Shabby infrastructure at Ambedkar University. Photo: By arrangement“AUD campuses suffer from dilapidated, unsanitary, and unsafe infrastructure. Students and faculty routinely work with broken furniture, power outages, non- functioning air conditioners and fans, fungal moulds, unusable toilets, and flooded rooms. Despite a large expenditure on paper, actual conditions are abominable,” the statement read.Shabby infrastructure at Ambedkar University. Photo: By arrangementShabby infrastructure at Ambedkar University. Photo: By arrangementThe AUDFA has, therefore, demanded that the following steps be taken with urgency:1. Stop the harassment of faculty; withdraw showcause notices and recoveries immediately.2. Apply CAS [Career Advancement Scheme] in a time-bound and fair manner. Re-examine and reverse unfair and incorrect decisions.3. Invest in repairing and refurbishing existing infrastructure to make campuses safe and comfortable.4. Act towards a facilitative, collegial, and mutually respectful work environment. Support faculty research, scholarly exchange, and due benefits.5. Reinstate consultative processes and involve diverse groups of faculty in decision making. Ensure functional autonomy for effective academic work.