University Grants Commission (UGC) has a directive that directly affects the recruitment of teachers has been opposed by people from within. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Thawar Chand Gehlot has told HRD ministry for a rollback of the directive in the strongly worded letter.
Gehlot said in the letter that the circular discourages the constitutional provisions of strengthening the marginalized section of society. The bone of contention regarding this is a circular issued by UGC on March 5 which says that vacancies for SC/ST/OBC would be filled taking one department as a unit, and not the university.
Gehlot said, “Under the earlier reservation roster, when the university was taken as the unit, the SC/ST/OBC got reservations to some extent. But with the new roster, according to which the reservations will consider the department as a unit, there will be a decline in the number of SC/ST/OBCs as professors, assistant professors etc.”
He further added, “The number of these castes in teaching faculty will fall because under the new roster system — OBC will be eligible for reservation only at the 4th vacancy, SC on the number 7th vacant post and ST only the 14th vacant post.”