Varsity implementing 27 pc reservation for OBCs
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) is in the centre of yet another controversy. This time the issue is about the recruitment drive that will take place shortly in various departments of the University. There appears to be some confusion in the process.
A section of University teachers allege that NEHU is implementing 27.5 per cent reservation for the Other Backward Class (OBC) category in faculty recruitment, despite Government of India’s (GoI) clear cut directive to exempt 6th Scheduled Areas from such reservation. NEHU authorities, however, assert that the exclusion of OBC’s from reservation is only for admission purposes and not for recruitment.
A high level source of a particular department said that the faculty recruitment draft advertisement put up by the University is circulating in different departments.
“Reservation for OBCs is not supposed to apply to the 6th Scheduled areas. In the recruitment process for central universities this rule is supposed to be applied. Only if there are no suitable candidates from within the region can others be appointed. But what is happening now is that candidates are getting appointments on the pretext of being OBC,” said the source.
He even alleged that the University has not kept any records nor adhered to any reservation policy in the past several years. On the draft advertisement, the source alleged that the University has allotted various faculty seats against OBC category. Echoing him an office bearer of a Union in the university alleged, “There are many departments where the university has not at all allotted any seats for ST. There has to be some yardstick.”
Another source informed that the Vice Chancellor (VC) had earlier ordered the Deans of all departments to convene meetings with the respective Heads of Department (HOD) to ascertain as to what is the position of reservation within the university. “When I joined this University the reservation criteria was not spelt out openly in the advertisement. But if the University goes by GoI guidelines now, I believe it is good and in the interest of the reservation policy,” said the source who is an HOD. He said that NEHU is otherwise strictly following the reservation criteria in terms of admission.
A source from the establishment refused to give any direct answer to the allegations. He said the draft recruitment advertisement is not yet finalized and is still under discussion. “If details of the previous recruitment policy is sought by any department it has to be made available,” said the source.
Clarifying further on the recent imbroglio the source said, “In 2009, there was a similar advertisement but no specific posts were earmarked for any special category. But now the number of posts in each department and how they are to be reserved is clearly mentioned. This has blown the issue out of proportion.”
Prof AN Rai, VC however clarified the matter saying, “Actually there are two bills – OBC reservation admission bill and its subsequent implementation and the other is OBC recruitment reservation bill passed way back in the 90’s which was notified some years ago. The said reservation for faculty recruitment has been there since 2009 when OBCs were recruited as per GoI guidelines.
Against, the 2009 advertisement reservation was mentioned in totality but later a visiting Commission from New Delhi objected to it and asked us to identify the positions,” he said, adding that there are government circulars on reservations which were followed and also on GoI exemptions. He also said the 27.5 per cent reservation for OBCs is only at the Assistant Professor level. In all other cases reservation is for SC and ST only. On the allegation that 6th Schedule States are exempted, the VC clarified that it applies only to admissions. He informed that the draft advertisement would be ready soon as it is being circulated internally for responses from different quarters.