Mumbai: No ST candidate hired as asst professor since 2009 at IIT-B, states RTI

The Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) has not recruited a single associate professor from the scheduled tribe (ST) and other backward castes (OBC) categories since 2006, according to responses received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act

The Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) has not recruited a single associate professor from the scheduled tribe (ST) and other backward castes (OBC) categories since 2006, according to responses received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

IIT-Bombay, Powai. (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

Several RTI applications were filed by Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC), an informal student organisation at IIT-B, about the institute’s recruitment process. The responses included counts of recruited candidates for each category, but did not reveal the number of shortlisted candidates. The data supplied is in line with figures shared by minister of education Ramesh Pokhriyal in Lok Sabha in July 2019, when he said of the 6,043 faculty in 23 IITs, 2.5% were from scheduled castes (SC) and 0.34% were ST.

In the last 14 years, IIT-B has hired only one SC candidate as associate professor. Between 2009 and 2020, no ST candidate was hired as assistant professor, which is the entry-level position for faculty. Three SC and six OBC candidates were hired as assistant professors in this period. Data for recruitment of assistant professor positions between 2006 and 2008 was unavailable.

Of 317 candidates hired as assistant professors at IIT-B in the 12 years, 97% were from the general category; 1.9% were OBC; 0.9% were SC and 0% were ST. Between 2006 and 2020, 42 general category candidates were hired as associate professors and 97.7% of all associate professors were from the general category, while 2% were SC, ST and OBC were 0%.

According to government of India (GoI) norms, 10% of all faculty positions in IITs are reserved for candidates belonging to economically weaker sections; 27% for the OBC category; 15% for SC; 7.5% for ST; and 5% for candidates with physical disabilities. Until 2019, these reservations were applicable only for the recruitment of assistant professors.

The meagre representation of reserved category faculty members in IIT-B bears significance since last July, an expert committee submitted a proposal to the ministry of education, recommending IITs be included among Institutes of Excellence. Institutes of Excellence are exempted from caste-based reservations according to the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act of 2019.

IITB has maintained that it follows the reservations policy in letter and spirit. “Earlier, prior to the reservations, departments had the liberty to forward shortlisted candidates to the selection committee. However, a few years ago, after the reservation policy came in, the policy was changed. Now, departments have to forward all applications from SC and ST categories to the selection committee as long as they meet the basic eligibility criteria,” said S Sudarshan, deputy director, academic and infrastructure affairs.

Data shows that in 2020, 26 SC candidates two ST candidates and 20 OBC candidates applied for assistant professorships. Only one SC candidate was hired. All ST and OBC candidates were rejected.

Avatthi Ramaiah, chairperson, Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies at Mumbai’s Tata Institute of Social Sciences, who has served on various selection committees at universities across the country, said the discrimination was systemic. “If a reserved category candidate has applied, the law mandates that the selection committee should have a member from the category. Most times, it is this member that bats on behalf of the reserved category candidate alone. There is resistance from all quarters because the department members have a set idea of who they want,” said Ramaiah.

However, Sudarshan said, “Candidates who have achieved professional success despite socio-economic and gender barriers deserve a preference. They are also likely to continue to do better. While we don’t want to compromise on the quality of research, we also believe that there are brilliant people in every category.”

Faculty recruitment process

IIT-B posts a rolling advertisement on its website and accepts applications from interested candidates throughout the year.

Each department forms a Faculty Search Committee with one faculty member as the convenor. The committee processes the applications received, and also scouts out for potential faculty from other universities and through the alumni network.

Candidates are shortlisted based on their contributions to research, teaching and professional services. Shortlisted candidates have to deliver a seminar and interact with other faculty members in addition to providing references.

Based on the candidates’ performance in the seminar, interactions and references, the department submits its recommendation to the dean of faculty affairs.

The dean of faculty affairs facilitates the formation of a selection committee, which interview the candidates and evaluates their performances.

The selection committee’s recommendations are placed before the chairperson and board of governors, who take the final decision.