Supreme Court asks Centre, IITs to follow quota law in recruitment of faculty, admission to research programmes

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 19

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre and IITs to follow the reservation policy for admission to research degree programmes and recruitment of faculty members at IITs as provided under the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act, 2019.

The Act provides for reservation in teaching positions in central institutions for candidates from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, socially and educationally backward classes and economically weaker sections.

“The respondents (IITs) are completely violating the reservation policies that provide for reservation to socially marginalised communities belonging to the SC (15 percent), ST (17 per cent) and OBCs (27 per cent),” petitioner SN Pandey alleged.

A Bench led by Justice MR Shah ordered, “The concerned respondents are hereby directed to follow the reservation and act as per the reservations provided under the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act, 2019.”

The order came on Pandey’s plea seeking direction to the Centre and the IITs to follow the reservation policy with regard to admissions in research programmes and recruitment of faculty members.

Alleging that the relevant guidelines were being violated, Pandey sought cancellation of the appointment of non-performing faculty due to violation of reservation norms and formulation of a transparent recruitment policy.

“…the process of taking admissions in the research program and appointment of faculty members by the respondents (IITs) are completely unconstitutional, illegal and arbitrary. The respondents are not following the guidelines of reservation as per the constitutional mandate,” he submitted.

He also sought directions to the authorities concerned to create a mechanism to resolve harassment complaints by students/scholars related to research work and to constitute a committee of technical experts to review the performance of the existing faculty.

Pandey accused the IITs of not following a transparent process of recruiting the faculty members which opened up a window for non-deserving candidates to enter the prestigious institutions through connections that increased the chances of corruption, favouritism and discrimination, affecting internal ranking and technological growth of India.

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