Govt committed to reservation, to file review in SC on faculty reservation in Univs
New Delhi: The government on Thursday said in Rajya Sabha that it is fully committed to reservation and will soon file a review petition in the Supreme Court on reservation mechanism for faculties in universities.
The Upper House took up a short discussion on notices given by SP, BSP, RJD and CPI members regarding the reservation issue in universities.
Opposition parties demanded that the government bring a separate law to protect the interest of scheduled castes (SC) scheduled tribes (ST) and other backward classes (OBC) instead of filing review petition in the apex court.
Replying on the issue, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said, "We are sensitive to the issue raised in the House because we are part of the reservation campaign. We want reservation to continue."
"The department-wise roster has not been brought by the government but it had to be brought following the court's direction. We were not in agreement with the court's direction and therefore filed a special leave petition (SLP)."
The government has put forth its views strongly during the hearing of SLP, the minister said and added the SLP was filed after conducting a study in 30-40 universities to ascertain how department-wise reservation to faculty would affect SC, ST and OBCs. "We are 100 per cent committed towards reservation," he said, and expressed confidence of getting a favourable judgement in the review petition. On the University Grant Commission (UGC) circular on appointments, the minister said it has not withdrawn the circular. "We are taking a legal opinion to seek a stay on the circular."
Opposition members were not satisfied with the reply and were up on their feet. Amid uproar, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House till 2 PM.
Earlier initiating the debate, Ramgopal Yadav (SP) said that he feared that reservation to backward classes will be affected if the 13 point-roster is followed.
"After the Allahabad Court order, the 13 point-roster has been issued instead of the earlier mechanism of 200-point roster. Earlier an university was considered as one unit, now a department in a college is treated as one unit," he said.
"If there are 13 posts in a department, then there will be nine from general category, 3 from OBC and one from SC.The fourth post for ST will never be there. In the next 200 years also, a ST will never get a posting in a department or a college," he added. Yadav said 13 universities have come out with advertisement for 706 posts. Of which, 18 are for SCs, 57 for OBCs and none for ST and 640 for general category.
"If this is the situation, then the reservation provided in the Constitution and the Indra Sahani case being said as valid -- will make no sense," he said.
Charging that the government did not present the case in the court properly, Yadav asked the government to bring a new bill. "You brought a bill on Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in 48 hours. Why don't you bring a bill that concerns 85 per cent of the people?," he said.
Echoing his views, Satish Chandra Misra (BSP) said advertisements have been issued despite assurance by the minister that no appointments would be made under the guidelines issued following the judgement of the Allahabad High Court.
"STs in departments with less than seven seats will never get reservation or get in 20 years. The minister agrees that it is wrong. If it is wrong, why is he not bringing the bill," he said, insisting the government bring a bill in this session.
