Centre asks varsities to defer faculty hiring process

Nudged by its coalition partner, the Modi government has instructed higher education institutions to put on hold filling up vacancies of faculty members department-wise under a new formula for implementation of quota in appointments.

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar announced the decision in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday after Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and Samajwadi Party MP Ramgopal Yadav questioned the UGC circular for department-wise implementation of quota in the appointment of teachers in universities.

"We are hopeful we will be able to save reservation for SC, ST and OBCs....No harm will be done to reservations...Reservation is a Constitutional right... we stand by reservation and are committed to providing it to SC/ST and OBCs," Javadekar said, adding that the Centre, as well as the UGC, have filed separate Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) against the order.

Powerful OBC leader from Bihar Upendra Kushwaha, who is also the chief of the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) and the Minister of State for Human Resource Development (HRD), had made a vociferous demand for this during a recent meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He had pointed out that several universities had gone ahead with filling up their vacant posts under the new department-wise roster system enforced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) following an Allahabad High Court order, though the matter is at present before the Supreme Court.

“In this context, you are requested to postpone the recruitment process, if it is already underway, till further orders,” the UGC directed all central universities, state universities, inter-university centres and deemed-to-be-universities receiving grants from the Centre.

The higher education regulator issued its directive to higher education institutions on Thursday.

The HRD Ministry on Wednesday asked the UGC to instruct higher education institutions to put on hold appointment of faculty members till further orders.

The case is slated for hearing in the apex court tentatively on August 13.

“Hence, it would be appropriate if the UGC issues a direction to all the institutions to postpone the recruitment process, if it is already underway, till further orders,” the ministry told UGC in a letter on Wednesday.

The Allahabad High Court, while hearing a petition in April last year, had ordered for department-wise implementation of quota in the appointment of teachers in universities, instead of taking a university as one unit.

The Supreme Court also later upheld the Allahabad High Court's verdict.

The UGC in March revised its regulations for implementation of the government's reservation policy under a new formula where each department of a university or a college would be treated as separate units for the purpose of filling vacant positions of teachers.

The commission's directive, however, drew flak from the teaching community. Many of the Opposition parties also picked up the issue and demanded an ordinance to reverse the court order.