JNUTA opposes 5 per cent ward quota at JNU, terms move 'regressive'
Raising concerns over the decision-making process, JNUTA said a committee that met only once recommended the quota without providing a clear rationale
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association (JNUTA) has opposed the university administration's decision to introduce a five per cent supernumerary quota for employees' wards, including teachers.
JNUTA called it "regressive" and lacking any rational or ethical justification.
In a statement issued after its General Body Meeting (GBM) held on Tuesday, JNUTA said the Vice Chancellor unilaterally decided to create the quota for admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes without any demand from teachers or adequate consultation.
The proposal to introduce the five per cent supernumerary quota was approved during a recent Executive Council meeting of the university.
Raising concerns over the decision-making process, JNUTA said a committee that met only once recommended the quota without providing a clear rationale.
It also claimed that the Vice Chancellor approved the measure through statutory bodies without allowing adequate discussion; elected teacher representatives recorded their dissent in writing.
The association alleged that the move reflects an "abuse of power" and undermines the university's long-standing commitment to inclusive admission policies based on deprivation points JNUTA also expressed apprehension that introducing a quota for teachers' wards could dilute or displace the existing provisions of supernumerary seats meant for children of non-teaching staff from Groups B, C and D, which it described as an important measure for ensuring access to disadvantaged sections.
"Given that wards of teachers cannot be considered marginalised, providing them with privileged access to a public institution such as JNU lacks any rational or ethical justification," they added.
The teachers' body criticised a separate proposal to introduce 11 per cent supernumerary seats for women students in the School of Engineering. It argued that broader measures, such as restoring deprivation points across programmes, would be more effective in addressing gender imbalance.
"Reinstating deprivation points across all academic programmes and schools, rather than implementing a 5 per cent supernumerary quota for the wards of JNU faculty or the 'decision' to implement 11 per cent supernumerary seats for women students exclusive to the School of Engineering, would likely help in addressing the adverse trend seen over the last few years in the gender balance in students' population," the statement noted.
The association urged the university administration to withdraw the decision and instead address faculty members' long-pending concerns, including issues related to promotions, recruitment, housing allocation and campus facilities.
JNUTA also reiterated its demand for greater transparency and accountability in administrative functioning and said it would raise the matter with the Visitor and the Ministry of Education.
