Union Cabinet nod to restore roster quota in universities

The Union Cabinet has cleared an ordinance to restore an earlier mechanism for reservation in teaching posts at colleges and universities. The new system brings back a 200-point roster that defines college or university as the unit for faculty reservation, rather than a department or subject.

The Cabinet said the decision will allow filling up of more than 5,000 vacancies by direct recruitment.

"The Cabinet has approved the proposal for promulgation of The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Ordinance, 2019 to provide for the reservation of faculty in appointments by direct recruitment of persons belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes in central educational institutions," Union Minister Arun Jaitley said.

The University Grants Commission had announced last March that an individual department should be treated as the base unit to calculate the number of teaching posts reserved for SC/ST candidates, following an order by the Allahabad High Court in April 2017. The Supreme Court had last month dismissed a review petition filed by the HRD Ministry.

Number Formula

The UGC had announced last March that an individual dept should be treated as the base unit to calculate the number of teaching posts reserved for SC/ST candidates