UGC to appeal for roll-back of system
NEWDELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) will file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) to rollback a new system for appointment of faculty in universities amid fears that it would impact the representation of SC/ST candidates, a senior government official familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The government had asked the UGC to make a department-wise roster of vacant teacher posts in universities reserved for SC/ST candidates, instead of the current norm of having an institution- wise table.
Experts had claimed that the directive will have an impact on how jobs are reserved.
It is learnt that the ministry has been advised by an inter-ministerial committee that was formed by it to study all aspects of the issue.
“The committee has examined the issue and has advised the government to file an SLP. The UGC will file it soon,” said the senior Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry official cited above.
The UGC had issued an order on March 5, asking universities to prepare a fresh roster within a month’s time.
The UGC’S order, which followed an Allahabad high court directive that was upheld by the Supreme Court, rules that to calculate quotas for SCS and STS, every department of a university be considered a separate unit. At present, the entire university is treated as a single unit.
HRD ministry officials had earlier said that they had given those directions to the UGC based on a court judgment, HT had reported on March 3.
Social justice and empowerment minister, Thawar Chand Gehlot, had also asked HRD minister Prakash Javadekar to roll- back the new quota system for universities.
In an interview to HT on Wednesday, Javadekar had maintained that in his personal opinion, the newly introduced quota system should be rolled back as it could impact SC/ST representation.
“But that’s my personal opinion,” he said.
Earlier this month, the HRD too had formed an inter-ministerial committee to review the new reservation system in universities based on recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee on the welfare of SCS and STS.