IITs may not have to meet quota norm for faculty

The Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) is understood to have urged the government to exempt Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) from reserving seats for faculty positions.

During a closed-door IIT Council meeting — the first since 2003 — the members argued that though the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation in Posts and Services) Bill. 2008, seeks to provide reservation in civil services for SC and ST candidates, faculty appointments in institutions of national importance have been exempted.

“There is a provision in the Bill that institutions of excellence will get an exemption. Once the Bill is passed, there will be no need for reservations for IIT faculty,” Higher Education Secretary in the HRD Ministry, RP Agrawal, told reporters after the council meeting here.

The provision in the Bill assumes significance as the government had earlier decided to implement OBC quota in faculty in IITs, a move stoutly opposed by the directors of these institutions. The IIT directors took up the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who assured he would consider the matter.

The council members also approved the appointment of directors for the six new IITs while simultaneously deciding to exempt 47 institutes from faculty reservations. These institutes include the existing seven IITs, six IIMs, National Institutes of Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, AIIMS and PGIMER.