55% OBC posts vacant across central universities, reveals Union Govt

Data shared by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday revelas that nearly 55 per cent of sanctioned OBC posts in central universities countrywide are vacant. Pradhan revealed the data while responding to a question raised by Nagapattinam MP M Selvaraj in the Lok Sabha.

According to the data, vacant OBC sanctioned posts are more than SC and ST categories. Across 45 central universities, 38.71 per cent of ST posts and 41.64 per cent of SC sanctioned posts are vacant. In the Indian Institute for Science (IISc) Bangalore, vacant posts for OBCs are over 89 per cent, while for ST and SC it is 54.7 per cent and 20.2 per cent, respectively.

The data also shows that in Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), the vacant posts for SC, ST, and OBCs are 39.4 per cent, 57.89 per cent and 43.7 per cent, respectively.

"The onus of filling up the vacant posts lies on Central Universities. Taking into account all the circumstances and in order to ensure protection of the rights of SCs, STs and OBCs in appointments, Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019 was notified on July 12, 2019, to provide reservation of posts in direct recruitment in teachers' cadre in Central Educational Institutions by considering the University as a Unit" Pradhan said replying to a question.

"Now, after implementation of the Act, the OBC reservation has been implemented at all levels. Further, in June 2019, UGC has prepared the guidelines for recruitment of faculty in universities, colleges and institutions deemed to be universities outlining the selection procedure and the time frame for recruitment which has been circulated to all universities to adhere the guidelines," the Union Education Minister added.

UGC had requested universities to fill up the vacancies thrice, on July 31, 2019, August 7, 2019, September 5, 2019, and October 22, 2019, the minister further added.

Meanwhile speaking to Madhyamam on the issue, Kiran Kumar , President of All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) said that "one of the reasons for less representation of OBC in Central Universities and other higher education institutions is due to the rejection of reserved candidates inspite of all eligibility conditions by just mentioning "None Found Suitable (NFS)".

Kiran demanded immediate filling of all OBC, SC and ST faculty positions in Higher Education Institutions. He also asked to have special drives at the national level in order to reduce the delay in appointments.

Earlier, a RTI application filed by Kiran Kumar last year seeking the percentage of OBC professors in 40 Central Universities had revealed that there are only nine posts that have been occupied by OBC professors despite 313 posts being sanctioned for OBC community.

Detailing the data from RTI reply, he had also wrote to the National Commission for Backward Classes demanding the application of 27 percent reservation in all teaching posts that will 'rectify' the injustice done to OBC community.