From Our Correspondent
TURA, Jan 29: The UGC’s Draft Policy to declare a vacancy reserved for SC, ST, and OBC candidates as “unreserved” if there are insufficient candidates from these categories has not gone down well with the Achik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM), a Garo Hills-based group.
Registering strong opposition against the proposal to de-reserve seats, the AHAM, on Monday, said that move has sparked concerns and criticisms from all quarters.
The organization, on the same day, dashed off a letter to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma expressing resentment over the move.
“Opponents argue that this move could erode the existing quota system and diminish opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities. To fully understand the gravity of this issue, it is important to delve into the historical context of reservation policies in India. Affirmative action measures were introduced to address social injustices, discrimination, and disparities prevalent in the caste-ridden society. The reservation system aims to uplift marginalised communities, granting them educational and employment opportunities that were historically denied to them. However, reservation policies too have faced ongoing scrutiny and debate regarding their effectiveness and fairness. Critics argue that while the initial intent of affirmative action was noble, over time, it has resulted in unintended consequences, including the perpetuation of caste identities and allegations of tokenism,” it said.
According to the organisation, the UGC’s proposal to de-reserve seats has raised the debate, with concerns that it could dilute the essence of affirmative action and hinder opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities.
“One key concern is the lack of focus on addressing the systemic issues that hinder proper representation of SC, ST, and OBC candidates. Instead of dereserving seats, a more comprehensive approach is needed to examine the factors contributing to underrepresentation. This may involve addressing issues such as inadequate primary education facilities, socio-economic disparities, and institutional biases that impede progress for marginalized individuals,” it said.
Expressing strong opposition towards the move, the organisation warned that it would pose several challenges and problems including undermining social justice, caste identities and discrimination, political manipulation etc in the future, and urged Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to review the decision.
It may be mentioned that the Ministry of Education has, however, clarified that no reserved posts can be de-reserved.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Education Ministry wrote: “Reservation in Central Educational Institutions (CEIs) is provided for all posts in direct recruitment in Teacher’s cadre as per the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act, 2019. After enactment of the Act, no reserved post is to be de-reserved. Ministry of Education has given directives to all the CEIs to fill up the vacancies strictly as per the 2019 act.”