Government considers quota norms for IIM faculty
The low representation of the weaker sections in teaching positions at the IIMs has come to the notice of the top brass of the HRD ministry, which could soon write to authorities at the institutes to follow constitutional provisions when they hire faculty,a senior official said.
Concerned over the negligible presence of teachers belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes among faculty at the premier Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), the ministry of human resource development (HRD) wants the B-schools to start following reservation norms.
The low representation of the weaker sections in teaching positions at the IIMs has come to the notice of the top brass of the HRD ministry, which could soon write to authorities at the institutes to follow constitutional provisions when they hire faculty,a senior official said.
“The number of SCs, STs and even OBCs {Other Backward Classes} among the teachers of the IIMs is extremely low. Probably it ranges close to zero in some of them. This is not desirable and the ministry feels more needs to be done. We plan to write to the IIMs on this key aspect,” the senior official, who requested anonymity, said.
A second official, who also requested anonymity, said that while most government-run universities and colleges have been following the reservation policy, the IIMs have continued to hold out.
India has 20 IIMs that are administered under the IIM Act brought by the HRD ministry in 2017.
According to the second official, the representation of teachers from SCs is not even 5% in many IIMs. The number of STs is even less. Even OBCs and EWS groups are grossly underrepresented. According to reservation norms, at least 15% seats should be reserved for SCs, 7.5% for STs and 27% for OBCs in government jobs.
Since 1975, when a letter was issued by the department of personnel and training, which held that scientific and technical posts would be exempt from reservations, the IIMs have been citing this communication to not follow reservation norms.
HRD officials say that the provisions of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act should apply to the IIMs as well.
“The ministry has collected data from time to time and it has come to notice that some IIMs do not have a single teachers from some of the weaker sections. The nearly five-decade-old norm needs to be revisited. IIMs are also public institutions and they should also provide fair representation to all segments,” said the second official cited above.
During discussions, the IIMs have been citing issues relating to lack of availability of top-quality teachers and the need to retain their brand value to justify the non-implementation of reservation policy in the elite B-Schools, the official added.
When reached for comment, an IIM director said there were at least three different aspects to the issue.
“First of all, the number of applicants from these sections is very low. Often when a post is advertised, the applications from candidates belonging to the weaker sections could be as low as 1 to 2 %. Secondly, many IIMs have filled up posts quite close to their sanctioned strength. This leaves lesser space from new applicants. Thirdly, the IIM Act has not made any specific condition related to faculty reservation; therefore, the 1975 communique is followed,” the director, who did not wish to be identified, said.
