‘Conspiracy To End Reservation’: Congress Hits Out At Centre Over Draft UGC Guidelines

Congress launched a scathing attack on the Centre over the University Grants Commission’s draft guidelines on filling of reserved posts in higher education institutes (HEIs), alleging that the government wants to end reservations in HEIs.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh demanded the withdrawal of the draft immediately.

In his post on X, Ramesh said, “A few years ago, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had talked about reviewing reservation. Now there is a conspiracy to end the reservation given to SC, ST and OBC in higher education institutions. This proposal of UGC is in line with the intentions of Mohan Bhagwat and is clearly an injustice to Dalits, tribals and backward people. Recently, when Jananayak Karpoori Thakur ji was given Bharat Ratna, Rahul Gandhi said that the country needs ‘real justice’ and not ‘symbolic politics’. Modi government is only doing ‘symbolic politics’ in the matter of Dalits, backward classes and tribals. What is their real intention is once again revealed through this proposal of UGC. Our fight is against this injustice and the continuous attacks on Baba Saheb’s Constitution. This proposal to end reservations in colleges and universities is completely unacceptable. It should be withdrawn immediately.”

Addressing a gathering at Uttrakhand, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also said that the government is planning to end reservations in government jobs.

“UGC has released a notification to end reservations in the university. Now you cannot be a lecturer, professor or a dean. You can only get a job if you come under the merit of the Modi government, and all other reservations will end. They snatching the jobs from youth. There are thirty lakh vacancies in railways, and government jobs out of which 50% is reserved for SCs, STs and weaker sections now they are planning to end that. There are vacancies why are you not giving them jobs?” Kharge said.

After receiving severe criticism over the UGC’s draft guidelines, a clarification has been issued by both the UGC and the Ministry of Education.

Speaking to CNN-News18, UGC chairperson Jagadesh Kumar said that there has been no de-reservation of reserved category positions in Central Educational Institutions (CEI) in the past and there is going to be no such de-reservation. It is important for all HEIs to ensure that all backlog positions in the reserved category are filled up through concerted efforts, he said.

According to the draft guidelines by the University Grants Commission which is now in the public domain for feedback from stakeholders suggested that “a vacancy reserved for SC, ST or OBC candidates can be declared unreserved if enough candidates from these categories are not available”. The suggestion was sought from stakeholders till January 28.

After the draft guidelines received much flak, the Education Ministry had to issue a clarification as well.

Meanwhile, the JNU Vice Chancellor Santishree Pandit has also issued a clarification on the draft by the UGC, saying no posts in JNU have been de-reserved.

“As JNU VC I want to reiterate to all stakeholders that no posts in JNU have been de-reserved. We have got very good candidates under the reserved category.” She further stated that JNU follows the reservation policy as stipulated by the centre and has an existing Office memorandum which states that no de reservation is allowed for any category of vacancies for SC,ST and OBC,” Pandit wrote on X.