NEW DELHI: Union Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said that the issue of the changed faculty reservation system will be “resolved in two days”, hinting that an Ordinance will be brought this week to alter an Allahabad High Court order that had ruled in the favour of department wise reservation in faculty recruitment in universities.
The High Court Order was later upheld by the Supreme Court and in January, a review petition filed by the HRD Ministry to reconsider its decision was again turned down.
Several Dalit rights groups had threatened to hit the streets this week demanding that the department-wise recruitment system in universities be nullified.
“We are totally in favour of the highest degree of social justice and will do what is required to be done, “Javadekar said. “I assure everyone that within two days the matter of 13 point roster (the earlier system through which universities used to make institute wise reservation rosters) will be resolved.”
Top sources in the HRD Ministry said that an Ordinance to impose reservation university-wise instead of by department has now been drafted and is set to be taken up on March 7, when the Union Cabinet meets possibly for the last time in this government to clear projects and schemes before the model code of conduct comes into force with the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule.
The Allahabad High Court order had meant that department, rather than the university, were considered in calculating reserved category seats and it had resulted in massive cuts in SC/ ST and OBC categories.
In last one year since the order had been issued several groups and teachers’ associations representing backward classes had been protesting and had accused that the Centre was not doing enough to restore the old system.