Over 42% reserved teaching posts in central universities remain vacant
More than 42% of reserved teaching posts for OBC, SC, and ST candidates in India's 45 central universities remain vacant, raising concerns about the enforcement of reservation policies.
In a revelation that has raised concerns, more than 42% of teaching posts reserved for OBC, SC and ST candidates in India's 45 central universities are currently lying vacant.
This disconcerting data was shared by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during Wednesday's Rajya Sabha session.
A BREAKDOWN OF THE VACANCIES
According to the numbers specified by Pradhan, of the 7,033 posts sanctioned for Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in central universities, 3,007 remain vacant.
The vacancy percentage was starkly disparate across reservation categories, with the highest at 46% for OBC which equates to 1665 vacant posts.
Following closely behind, vacant posts for ST and SC categories stand at 44% and 37% respectively.
PHASED HIRING IN 2023: A SILVER LINING?
Despite the rising number of vacancies, there is also a glimpse of hope. In his statement to the Rajya Sabha, Pradhan mentioned, "A total of 517 posts for the three categories have been filled in 2023 so far."
When broken down category-wise, the maximum number of positions filled falls under the OBC quota with 285 appointments, followed by SC with 150, and 82 ST appointments.
The high percentage of vacant posts is a cause for concern, raising questions about the effective enforcement of reservation policies in the education sector and calling for necessary measures to address both the academic and social gaps it implies.
(With PTI inputs)
