Universities start filling up teaching positions, ignoring review petition in SC

Several universities including the Central University of Tamil Nadu and the University of Hyderabad have gone ahead with a recent directive of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to fill up department-wise vacant positions of teachers under a new formula for implementation of quota in appointments.

These varsities have invited applications for filling up the vacant positions even as the Centre has approached the Supreme Court seeking a review of its last year's order favouring implementation of department-wise reservation in the appointment of faculty members at the universities.

Following an Allahabad High Court verdict upheld by the Apex Court last year, the UGC on March 5 directed all universities to prepare a new roster-system keeping the department as a unit for filling all levels of the teaching positions, instead of taking the university as a unit for the purpose.

Acting swift on the commission's directive, the Central University of Tamil Nadu and the University of Hyderabad advertised teaching positions for filling vacant posts department wise. The Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), Amarkantak and the Central University of Assam also followed the suit and advertised the vacant posts department wise.

Several state universities including Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi Vishwavidhyalaya in Madhya Pradesh also opened the process for department-wise recruitment of various faculty positions in absence of any directive from the UGC for putting the exercise on hold till the Apex Court's order on the review petition filed by the Centre against the new formula for implementation of quota in faculty appointment.

The UGC, meanwhile, just notified all universities that the government has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict on the department-wise implementation of quota in the appointment.

“This is for your information,” the higher education regulator stated in its official communication to the varsities.

The IGNTU has withdrawn its faculty recruitment notification following the UGC notification that came on April 20. Other universities, however, has kept the recruitment process “active.”

Various university teachers association and Dalit organisations have opposed the implementation of department-wise quota in appointment rule, on the ground that the move will deny reservation benefits to the eligible candidates.