Varsity roster: BJP members join Oppn against SC plan

The BJP members joined the Opposition in Rajya Sabha on Thursday in rejecting the human resource development (HRD) ministry's plan to once again approach the Supreme Court against the Allahabad High Court verdict, which in 2017 favoured department-wise filling up of the teachers' vacancies in universities.

Raising the issue, members of the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), joined by other Opposition parties, also created ruckus in the House, demanding a discussion on the issue and an assurance from the government to bring in a bill to reinstate the system of filling up vacancies university-wise.

They said that the implementation of the department-wise roster system for filling up vacant posts would deny teaching job opportunities to the those belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

BJP members Satyanarayan Jatiya, who is chairman of a parliamentary standing committee on the HRD, and Harnath Singh Yadav “associated” themselves with the issue after the SP, BSP and RJD leaders raised it and demanded for a bill, rejecting the ministry's plan to file a review petition in the apex court in the matter.

The members of the SP, BSP, RJD, TMC and the Congress disrupted the proceedings of the house by trooping into the Well, raising slogan like "scrap new roster system, anti-Dalit government will not function".

The proceedings of the Upper House, which witnessed multiple adjournments due to ruckus soon after it assembled for the day in morning, was eventually adjourned for the day by Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu in afternoon as the Opposition refused to relent.

Members of the SP, BSP, RJD and the CPI had given notices for discussion on the issue.

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the Rajya Sabha sought to pacify Opposition, saying the government was “fully committed” to providing reservation to SC, ST and OBCs, and will soon file a review petition in the Supreme Court.

He also said that the university grants commission's (UGC) directive, issued to the universities last year, for putting in abeyance fresh recruitment has not yet been withdrawn.

"We are taking a legal opinion to seek a stay on the circular," he added.

However, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav and RJD's Manoj Jha said “nothing is going to happen” with the filing of a review petition in the apex court.

“You (government) bring a bill. When you (government) can bring a bill for the EWS quota within 48 hours, why can't you bring a bill for this (to set aside court's verdict on roster system),” Yadav said.