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No decision on scrapping quota for IIT faculty recruitment: Govt
The Union education ministry said on Wednesday that it had taken no decision on implementing a controversial proposal to exempt IITs from quota norms for faculty
The Union education ministry said on Wednesday that it had taken no decision on implementing a controversial proposal to exempt IITs from quota norms for faculty hiring even as a political controversy brewed over the suggestion.
The proposal was made by an expert committee, headed by IIT Delhi Director V Ramagopal Rao and comprising representatives from four top IITs and three government ministries. The panel, set up by the ministry in April, also told the ministry that IITs were institutes of excellence and matters of faculty hiring should be dealt with the board of governors of these colleges.
“There is no such decision by the ministry,” said a senior ministry official on condition of anonymity. The panel was asked to look into the reservation process for students and teachers and submitted its report to the ministry in May.
It comes at a time when several IIMs are carrying out special drives to recruit faculty members from scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and other backward class communities, in line with government guidelines.
The panel noted that the IITs were institutions of national importance, set up by an act of Parliament and having a mandate to contribute to the development of India and the world. It said that vacant positions should not be blocked for a long period of time.
“Since IITs have flexible faculty structure and there is no specified tier-wise faculty strength, all appointments are through open advertisement, without specifying specific numbers to be hired. It is important that this aspect of the selection process be retained,” the report said.
The panel made some specific recommendations.
One, bringing IITs under the list of institutions exempt from reservations.
“This must be immediately reconsidered for inclusion of IITs in the schedule taking into account the nature of these institutions, duties, and their activities. The matter of reservations in these institutions may be vested with their respective board of governors to deal with as per the board resolutions, statutes, and byelaws,” the panel said.
Two, a new “preparatory” programme to attract quality PhD candidates from reserved categories. If this was not possible, the panel recommended that reservations for all categories -- including economically weaker sections – could be capped at the position of assistant professor, and not extended to higher posts of associate and full professor.
Three, vacancies not filled up with adequate representation from reserved categories in a particular year due to non-availability of suitable candidates be de-reserved in the next year.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) didn’t react to the recommendations. But the Congress attacked the Centre and accused it of being anti-Dalit.
“It has become a habit of the Narendra Modi government to take every possible opportunity to hit at the very edifice of affirmative action and reservation. They take every opportunity to convolutedly and covertly and also overtly exhibit their anti-Dalit bias…So what’s being proposed is a clear undermining of power and protection provided to the marginalised amongst us,” said Congress spokesperson Pranav Jha.
