CHENNAI: After TNIE’s report on new draft guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC), which provided provisions for the de-reservation of university posts for SCs, STs and OBCs, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the BJP is only interested in snatching away the jobs of the youth.
“Modi government has issued a notification to end SC, ST and OBC reservation in universities. Through this, they are saying you can’t become professors, deans or principals. Only those with Modi’s merit will get jobs. There are around 30 lakh vacancies in central government posts, of which 50% is reserved for SCs, STs and OBCs, while the other 50% is for the general category. When they are not even filling the existing vacancies, how will they bring in new employment for the youth,” Kharge asked.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also condemned the new guidelines, which were halted after TNIE’s report on Sunday.
Rahul claimed that the move is a conspiracy to end the reservation given to SC, ST and OBC categories in higher educational institutions. He also recalled that the BJP and RSS have already spoken about reviewing reservations, and wish to snatch the jobs of the deprived classes.
“Out of approximately 7,000 reserved posts in 45 central universities, 3,000 are vacant. Of those working, only 7.1% are Dalit, 1.6% tribal and 4.5% are backward class professors. This is an attempt to kill the dreams of the heroes fighting for social justice and to eliminate the participation of the deprived sections. This is the true character of the BJP. Congress will never allow this to happen. We will continue to fight for social justice and will fill these vacant posts only with qualified candidates from reserved categories,” Rahul said on social media.
Meanwhile, VCK founder Thol Thirumavalavan said that several posts in higher education institutions were not filled in the last 10 years during the BJP rule.