New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is still not certain with the decision over the reservation of a large number of positions at the level of Associate Professor and Professor for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Physically Handicapped (PH) candidates and at the Associate Professor level for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) after it advertised for its 149 faculty positions in mid-2009.
As per sources, the new move was approved by the Executive Council (EC) in 2007, and the advertisements appeared in the year 2009. In November, the Admission Council (AC) demanded that the EC should reconsider its decision and the matter needs to be thoroughly discussed at the centre, the school levels, and the AC. Though on January 12, 2010, the EC admitted the procedural lapse on its part and further said that the matter would be taken back to the AC and only after which it would be back to the EC.
A 2005 HRD Ministry directive to the UGC states - in exercise of the powers vested under Section 20(1) of the UGC Act, 1956 the government hereby directs the UGC to ensure effective implementation of the reservation policy in the central universities and those of (sic) institutions deemed to be universities receiving aid from the public funds except in minority institutions under Article 30(1) of the Constitution.
However, the faculty of JNU is clearly divided on the reservations issue in the campus as some former vice-chancellors and Emeritus professors have spoken out against the proposed reservations. The minutes of the EC meeting held on January 12 had not been approved and do not have the consent of all the members, say those supporting the reservations issue. Also, JNU is not the only institute to implement reservations at the Professor and Associate Professor level.
