Last Updated on January 29, 2024 by admin
NEW DELHI, January 29, 2024—A political storm erupted on Sunday over certain clauses proposed in the UGC’s draft faculty recruitment rules allowing unreserved declaration of reserved category teaching positions not filled over three selection cycles. The central government and regulators firmly dismissed allegations of tampering with existing reservation arrangements.
The University Grants Commission’s UGC Draft Guidelines on Reservation for college and university teachers’ appointment detailed that SC, ST and OBC quota seats can be converted into general category if unfilled after advertisement over three years.
Government’s Clarification
However, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stated unequivocally that no reserved seats will be abolished after the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act 2019 was passed recently. UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar also reassured that no diluting of quotas had occurred thus far,UGC Draft Guidelines on Reservation.
The draft norms put forth are still under discussion and open to feedback from stakeholders till January 28. As per Pradhan, there is no ambiguity at all regarding continuity of quotas as enshrined in the Constitution.
Congress Leads Opposition Charge
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the ruling BJP of snatching job opportunities meant for SC, ST and OBC category youth. The party demanded immediate withdrawal of the contentious clauses citing a hidden ploy to undo decades of social justice efforts via reservation.
Jairam Ramesh claimed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had spoken earlier about relooking quotas and now a systematic plot was underway across higher education to eliminate caste-based reservations affecting lakhs of marginalized students.
No Question of Tinkering, Say Academicians
However, top government representatives strongly repudiated charges over any move to discontinue reservations or initiate the first step thereof by freeing up unfilled seats. The Education Minister asserted the new recruitment rules aim to ensure timely faculty appointment as per government quota obligations.
Expert academicians concurred that a fair recruitment policy to attract talent without unreasonable delays balances welfare goals. Safeguarding social equity while upholding merit-based hiring norms is vital, highlighting the nuances involved.
On January 29, 2024, a controversy arose regarding the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) draft guidelines, which proposed unreserving vacancies for SC, ST, and OBC candidates if not enough applicants from these groups are available. which accused the government of attempting to eliminate quotas in higher education. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar both assured that no posts would be de-reserved, the government’s commitment to reservation as per the Central Educational Institutions (UGC Draft Guidelines on Reservation) Act, 2019. The draft guidelines are open for public feedback, and opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, have demanded the withdrawal of these proposals, alleging a conspiracy against the reservation system.