IITs may not have to meet quota for faculty

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) may not have to implement reservation in faculty appointment with the government seeking exemption of institutions of excellence to provide quotas for teachers' posts.

The government has already moved a bill in the Parliament in this regard.

Though the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation in Posts and Services) Bill 2008 seeks to provide reservation in the civil services for SC and ST candidates, it exempted such reservation in the appointment of faculty in the institutions of national importance.

"There is a provision in the Bill that institutions of excellence will get exemption from implementation of reservation. Once the Bill is passed, there will be no reservation in IIT faculty," Higher Education Secretary, Ministry of HRD, R P Agrawal told reporters after the IIT Council meeting here.

The provision in the Bill assumes significance as the government had earlier decided to implement OBC quota in faculty in the IITs, a move stoutly opposed by the IIT directors.

The IIT Directors took up the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who had assured them to consider the matter.

"There shall be no reservation where appointments are made to posts higher than the lowest grade of group 'A' posts in institutions of national importance," a provision in the Bill, which has been passed in the Lok Sabha, said.