The Central Government has admitted in Parliament that there is a significant delay in filling reserved category posts in higher education. The situation is particularly alarming at the professor level, where appointments from the general category far exceed those from reserved categories. The gap is even wider for candidates from Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
Rahul Gandhi Calls It a “Deliberate Conspiracy”
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi criticized the government on this issue, posting on social media platform X:
“The data presented by the Modi government in Parliament is solid proof of systemic discrimination and institutional Manuvad. In central universities, 83% of ST, 80% of OBC, and 64% of SC professor posts have been deliberately left vacant. Similarly, 65% of ST, 69% of OBC, and 51% of SC associate professor posts remain unfilled.”
He further stated:
“This is not mere negligence but a calculated conspiracy to exclude Bahujans from education, research, and policymaking. Without adequate representation, the issues of marginalized communities are deliberately erased from academic discourse. Under the guise of ‘Not Found Suitable’ (NFS), thousands of qualified SC, ST, and OBC candidates are being rejected due to Manuvadi thinking, with no accountability from the government. This is completely unacceptable. All vacant posts must be filled immediately—Bahujans deserve their rightful share, not exclusion.”
What Do the Numbers Reveal?
- OBCs: Out of 423 sanctioned professor posts, only 84 OBC professors have been appointed—leaving 80% vacancies.
- SCs: Only 111 SC professors were appointed in the last five years against a requirement of 308—a 64% vacancy rate.
- STs: Against 144 sanctioned posts, only 24 ST professors were hired—an 83% vacancy rate.
As of June 30, 2025, central universities had a total of 18,951 sanctioned posts for professors, associate professors, and assistant professors. Of these, 14,062 were filled, leaving 25% vacancies.
- General Category: Only 15% seats remain vacant.
- OBCs: 40% vacancies (2,197 filled out of 3,688 sanctioned posts).
- SCs: ~30% vacancies (1,599 filled out of 2,310 posts).
- STs: 37% vacancies (727 filled out of 1,155 posts).
Education Minister Sukanta Majumdar presented these figures in the Rajya Sabha in response to a question from RJD’s Prof. Manoj Kumar Jha.
Discrimination in IITs, NITs, and Central Institutions
Similar disparities exist in IITs, IIMs, NITs, and other central institutions. Data from 2013-14 shows that 70.2% of faculty positions were held by upper-caste Hindus, while reserved categories remained underrepresented.
Even in key ministries (PMO, Home, Defence), representation of SC, ST, and OBC officials is minimal. For instance, the PMO has 21 upper-caste officials, zero from SC/ST, and only four from OBC backgrounds.
The government’s failure to fill reserved posts highlights systemic exclusion, denying marginalized communities their rightful opportunities in academia and governance.
