All 20 IIMs seek exemption from reservation in teaching positions

All 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have requested the HRD Ministry to exempt them from reserving positions in the teaching staff for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

The premier business schools, which currently do not offer reservation in teaching positions, have been asked by the Ministry to provide quota in faculty positions for SC, ST, OBC and EWS candidates.

According to officials, the B-schools have made the request saying they adopt a fair recruitment process and give equal opportunities to all, including disadvantaged sections of society.

The IIMs have so far been following the 1975-order of the Department of Personnel & Training that exempted scientific and technical posts from the reservation policy. IIM- Ahmedabad is caught in a battle on the issue in the high court.

In November 2019, the Human Resource Development Ministry wrote to all institutes to ensure implementation of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act.

A separate communication was sent to all IIMs on Wednesday to ensure 'reservation of posts in direct recruitment', considering the institute as a unitas specified in the Act that came into effect on March 7, 2019.