Centre to approach SC on department-wise quota in varsities

The Centre will soon file a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court seeking review of its decision on the department-wise implementation of reservation in the appointment of faculty members in the country's universities and colleges.

The Allahabad High Court, while hearing a petition in this connection last year, had ordered for a department-wise implementation of quota in the appointment of teachers in higher education institutions, instead of taking institution as one unit.

The Supreme Court also upheld the Allahabad High Court's order, prompting the UGC to revise its regulations for the implementation of the government's reservation policy under a new formula, where each of the departments of a university or a college will be treated as separate units for the purpose of filling up vacant positions of teachers.

This, however, drew sharp  criticism from various sections of teaching community, academicians and other stakeholders in the education sector as they felt that the new UGC formula for department-wise calculation of vacancies and filling up of the posts would deny job opportunity to many eligible candidates who belong to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other backward classes.

Many parliamentarians, who belong to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, also spoke against the revised UGC rule for the implementation of quota.

Amid an outrage over the issue, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot wrote to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), urging for withdrawal of the UGC's revised formula for implementation of reservation rules in the appointment of faculties.

The central government last week constituted an inter-ministerial committee to examine the issue after a parliamentary standing committee called for it, taking suo-moto cognizance of the matter.

The committee, comprising senior officials of the Union ministries of social justice, human resource development, tribal affairs and law, as well as the department of personnel and training, recommended for the filing of a SLP in the Supreme Court for review of its decision.

"We are going to file a SLP in Supreme Court soon," a top HRD ministry official told DH.