Central University Vacancies: Over 38% SC/ST/OBC Posts Still Empty, Says RTI Report
A new report shows a big problem in central universities in India. Many teaching and non-teaching jobs are not filled, especially for people from SC, ST, and OBC communities. This has led to a debate between two leaders: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Central University Vacancies: Key Points from the Report
The RTI report shows that many reserved jobs in central universities are still empty. Here are some important numbers:
- There are 18,940 teaching posts in 46 central universities.
- Around 27% of these posts are vacant.
- The problem is worse for reserved categories:
- 32.1% of SC (Scheduled Caste) posts are vacant.
- 40.3% of ST (Scheduled Tribe) posts are vacant.
- 41.8% of OBC (Other Backward Classes) posts are vacant.
- In addition, 71% of posts reserved for EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) are empty.
- Around 55% of professor positions are also not filled.
Kharge’s Concerns About Central University Vacancies
Mallikarjun Kharge, the President of the Congress party, shared his concerns on social media. He said the government is not paying enough attention to filling these reserved posts. Kharge feels that the vacancies show a lack of commitment to “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas” (growth for all). He believes the government is not doing enough for social justice.
According to Kharge, the high vacancy rates for SC, ST, and OBC posts show that marginalized groups are not getting fair chances. He believes the government’s promises for these groups are not being met.
Pradhan’s Response
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan responded to Kharge. He shared some data from 2014 when Congress was in power. Pradhan said that the situation was even worse back then.
Here are the numbers he shared from 2014:
- About 37% of teaching posts were empty.
- Vacancy rates for SC, ST, and OBC posts were very high:
- 57% for SC
- 63% for ST
- 60% for OBC
Pradhan said the current government has worked hard to reduce these vacancies. He shared recent data to show this progress:
- More than 6,890 teaching jobs were filled in the last two years.
- Out of these jobs, the breakdown includes:
- 13.6% SC
- 6.7% ST
- 22.27% OBC
- 5.05% EWS
Pradhan also said that the government added more sanctioned posts to make room for hiring. The number of posts went up to 18,940 by 2024.
Government Steps to Reduce Central University Vacancies
Pradhan explained what the government has done to reduce central university vacancies:
- More Sanctioned Posts: The government increased the number of total posts to 18,940.
- 2019 Reservation Act: The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act was passed in 2019. This law aims to make sure reserved jobs are filled without any hurdles.
- More Recruitment Efforts: The Ministry of Education is doing regular hiring drives to fill these vacancies.
A Larger Issue of Representation
The high number of unfilled posts is a bigger issue. Many people feel that reserved posts are not being filled fast enough. This means that people from SC, ST, and OBC communities do not get enough chances in universities.
The government has taken some steps, but the RTI data shows there are still big gaps. The vacancies make it harder for marginalized groups to get fair chances in higher education.
Summary of the Central University Vacancies Debate
The debate between Pradhan and Kharge brings attention to a big problem. Here’s a quick look at the main points:
- High Vacancy Rates: Many teaching jobs are empty. This is worse for reserved categories like SC, ST, and OBC.
- Government’s Efforts: The current government has taken steps to reduce vacancies. This includes the 2019 Reservation Act and more posts.
- Challenges with Representation: Even with these efforts, the vacancies remain high. Many feel the government needs to do more to ensure fair representation.
This issue is important because it affects social justice and education reform. The government has made progress, but more needs to be done to fill these central university vacancies.
