Centre to move SC on department-wise roaster system

The Centre will once again approach the Supreme Court seeking review of the Allahabad High Court's verdict which in 2017 favoured filling up of the vacant posts of teachers in universities department-wise, instead of university wise.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has decided to file a review petition in the apex court in the matter even as various Opposition parties, teachers and students groups want Modi government to either bring an Ordinance or a Bill in Parliament for its passage to reverse the court's order.

“With a view to protect the interests of SCs (scheduled castes), STs (scheduled tribes) and the OBCs (other backward classes), it has been decided to file a review petition in the Supreme Court,” HRD minister Prakash Javadekar told Lok Sabha in a written reply to a question on Monday.

The Supreme Court recently dismissed the central government's special leave petition (SLP), declining to intervene into the Allahabad High Court verdict which had quashed a UGC rule for treating a central university as a unit for filling up the vacant posts of teachers.

The Centre filed a SLP in the apex court last year, challenging the Allahabad High Court.

READ: Why academia opposing new roster in higher education?

The government swung into action to seek relief from the apex court only after a row erupted over a university grants commission's (UGC) directive to the universities for implementation of department-wise roaster system as per the Allahabad High Court judgement.

The central university teachers association and other teachers bodies, who are up in arms demanding “immediate” restoration of the previous system for filling up teachers vacancies, claim that the implementation of department-wise roaster system will deny job opportunities to the candidates belonging to SCs, STs and the OBCs.

Under the department-wise roster system, an OBC candidate will be able to apply for a teaching post only when four vacant posts are advertised, SC candidate can join the race only when seven vacant posts are advertised and a ST candidate can apply for teaching job only when 14 vacant posts are advertised.

Last year in March, the Central University of Tamil Nadu, Central University of Rajasthan and Central University of Punjab had advertised for 65, 33 and 60 faculty posts respectively soon after the UGC issued a circular for implementation of department-wise roaster system.

“None of the posts so advertised by these universities were reserved for SCs/STs as per the revised department-wise roster,” the HRD minister told the Lok Sabha.

These universities have withheld the recruitment process as per UGC directives issued later in July in view of the SLP filed by the government against the order of Allahabad High Court, the Minister added.