UGC should uphold the principles of reservations: SFI

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has invited comments, feedback and suggestions on the draft guidelines for implementation of the reservation policy of the government of India in Higher Education Institutes (HEls). The SFI opposes the draft guidelines regarding the de-reservation policy in case of direct recruitment and promotion.

According to the proposed UGC draft, these guidelines would apply to all central universities, deemed-to-be-universities, and other autonomous institutions administered by the Government of India.

According to SFI, the criteria for de-reservation, such as the inability to find suitable candidates from reserved categories or the need to avoid vacancies in the public interest, do not address the social barriers and disparities that Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) groups face.

Also read UGC suggests de-reserving SC,ST, OBC posts if enough reserved candidates not available

The SFI press release read, "The de-reservation policy perpetuates existing inequalities by not addressing the root causes of underrepresentation and marginalization. This draft undermines the fundamental principles of affirmative action and social justice enshrined in our constitution."

SFI calls for nationwide protest

As per SFI, the proposal allows reserved slots to be deemed unreserved in any instance, which encourages discrimination and increases inequities faced by historically marginalised groups.

“We demand the immediate withdrawal of this draft and call for the UGC to uphold the integrity of reservation policies to ensure equal opportunities for students coming from disadvantaged sections. We also give nationwide protest call from 29th January 2024 in every campus against the exclusionary dereservation policy of UGC.” further read the press release.