Centre to form panel to review new quota system for varsity faculty

NEW DELHI: The government a likely to form an inter-ministerial committee to review a new reservation system for the appointment of faculty in universities that was announced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) earlier this month, officials familiar with the developments said on Monday.

The committee will submit its report after studying all aspects of the issue next week, said an HRD ministry official who asked not to be named.

“The committee will see if there are any reasons for filing a review petition,” the official added.

The government had asked the UGC to make a department-wise roster of teacher vacancies reserved for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe candidates, instead of the current norm of having an institution-wise table.

Some experts had said that the directive would have an impact on how jobs for these roles were reserved. A university is treated as a single unit for calculating the number of faculty from reserved categories, but under the new system each department would be treated as a separate unit.

Experts argued that the move would reduce the number of posts for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and socially and educationally backward classes.