DU teachers flag issues of vacant reserved seats, roster anomalies before parliamentary committee

NEW DELHI: Raising concerns over faculty recruitment before a Parliamentary Committee, Delhi University teachers on Friday alleged systematic marginalisation of the SC/ST communities. The Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, consisting of about 20 MPs from both the Houses, visited the DU and held detailed discussions with nearly 80 individuals, including teachers, students, and non-teaching staff belonging to the SC/ST category.

According to the Democratic Teachers' Front, one of the major issues raised was the widespread use of the "Not Found Suitable" (NFS) and "No Candidate Shortlisted" (NCS) tags in faculty recruitment, particularly at the Associate Professor and Professor levels. "Even when eligible candidates were available and had been shortlisted, many were declared 'not suitable,' which shows deliberate exclusion," said Mithuraj Dhusia, Executive Council member and DTF Joint Secretary. He cited examples from departments like Hindi where NFS was used against reserved posts for OBCs and others. There was no immediate response available from the university.

The teachers submitted a memorandum demanding a review of the recruitment process and corrective steps. The memorandum also highlighted that around 70 per cent of SC/ST teachers were being denied promotion or selection under the NFS label, further deepening marginalisation. Concerns over the implementation of the 200-point reservation roster were also flagged. A 2013 Executive Council Resolution led to significant anomalies, including denial of backlog vacancies and department-wise, rather than college-wise, identification of shortfalls. This has allowed manipulation of roster points through arbitrary changes in sanctioned posts, the memorandum noted.

Further, the issue of lack of reservation in single-cadre posts, such as principals, was highlighted. Despite eligible SC/ST candidates being available, such appointments have been systematically denied, reinforcing a skewed perception of "merit". Many principals were also reappointed for second and third terms, limiting new opportunities and representation, it added. The teachers also called attention to the growing trend of contractualisation of teaching and non-teaching posts, especially in units like the Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board (NCWEB) and School of Open Learning (SOL). Guest and contractual appointments are often made without following reservation rosters, and outsourced Class D jobs bypass reservation entirely, severely affecting the most marginalised, it stated.

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DU Teachers' Association Secretary Anil Kumar said backlog recruitments have stagnated, disturbing the roster and resulting in discrimination against SC/ST candidates. He also demanded that liaison officers monitoring SC/ST affairs be made independent, as many currently operate under the influence of college principals. Academic Council member Prof. Neelam informed the committee about past incidents of harassment against SC/ST teachers and called for reopening of the university's now-defunct SC/ST office. She also urged all colleges to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.