Govt tables bill for institution-wise roster system

The Government on Thursday introduced a bill in Lok Sabha to restore institution-wise roster system for direct recruitment of teachers and implementation of quota in such appointments in the central universities and other higher educational institutions.

Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development (HRD) Sanjay Dhotre introduced the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Bill 2019 in Lok Sabha for its passage.

The bill seeks to replace an Ordinance promulgated by the government in March during the previous term.

The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Ordinance, 2019 had been brought by the government in March to set aside a court order which had quashed the institution-wise roster system ordering for recruitment of teachers in universities and colleges department/subject wise.

The Ordinance was brought ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in view of the persistent demands of various Dalit and tribal groups as well as the teaching community.

The University Grants Commission Guidelines, 2006 provide that the cadre or unit for determining reservation roster points in teaching posts in central universities should be the university or college
and not the department or subject.

“However, the said clauses were quashed by the High Court of Allahabad on April 7, 2017, and the said judgment was upheld by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court took a stand that cadres cannot be
combined for the purpose of reservation,” the aims and objects of the bill read.

However, the process of recruitment had come to a complete standstill leaving more than 7,000 vacancies in various Central Universities, “thus adversely impacting the teaching process and academic standards."

“In view of the urgency to fill up the vacant posts and to protect the interests of the scheduled castes, the scheduled tribes and the socially and educationally backward classes, it had become necessary to enact legislation in the matter,” it added.