Lok Sabha Question No. 785 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-23
Subject: Reservation in Faculty Positions
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: BALKA SUMAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.785 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2018

## Reservation in Faculty Positions

785. SHRI SUMAN BALKA: Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  there  is  a  proposal  by  University  Grants Commission (UGC) that reservation in faculty positions should be calculated department-wise  and  not  based  on  the  total  posts  in  a  university  in  response  to  a direction of the Allahabad High Court in April 2017 and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Ministry has accepted the University Grants Commission's new formula for implementing reservation in teaching posts and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether implementation of this new formula of faculty reservation would significantly reduce  representation  of  Scheduled  Castes,  Scheduled  Tribes  and  Other  Backward Classes(SC/ST/OBC) in all new recruitment drives taken up by the universities in future;
- (d)  if  so,  whether  the  current  representation  of  SC,  ST  and  OBC  among  teachers  in higher education is pretty abysmal; and
- (e) if so, whether the Government report released in 2016, stated that only 1.02 lakh or 7.22 per cent - of the 14.1 lakh teachers in 716 universities and 38,056 colleges in the country were Dalits and Tribal faculty was just 30,000 or 2.12 per cent and if so, the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (Dr. SATYA PAL SINGH)

- (a)  to  (e):  The  University  Grants  Commission  (UGC)  Guidelines  of  2006  relating  to reservation in teaching posts in Central Universities, inter-alia, prescribe that the cadre or  unit  for  determining  reservation  roster points  should  be 'University/college' and not 'Department/ subject'.

The  Hon'ble  Allahabad  High  Court  in  its  order  of  C.M.W.P.No.43260  of 2016 dated 07-04-2017 quashed clause 6(c) and 8(a)(v) of UGC Guidelines 2006. This Order was later upheld by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in its judgement dated 21-7-2017 passed in SLP(C) No.16515/2017.

To  continue  with  the  Central  Government's  reservation  policy  (implemented through the UGC guidelines) and to ensure adequate representation to SC/ST/OBCs in teaching and equivalent positions in various Central Universities, Deemed Universities, Colleges and other Grant in Aid Institutions and Centres, UGC and MHRD have filed separate SLPs  on  12-04-2018  and  16-04-2018  respectively  before  the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India.

Meanwhile, in view of the matter being sub-judice, the UGC has been requested vide  MHRD  letter  dated  18 th July,  2018  to  issue  a  direction  to  all  the  institutions  to postpone the recruitment process, if it is already underway, till further orders. The UGC has issued necessary instructions to Central Universities, Deemed  Universities, Colleges and other Grant in Aid Institutions and Centres.

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