Government Allegedly Hinders Representation of Marginalized Communities in Higher Education, as Asserted by Rahul Gandhi
In a recent development, Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Education Minister, has highlighted efforts to increase recruitment and reduce backlog in central universities. However, a significant issue persists: a substantial number of faculty posts reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) remain vacant in central universities and other premier institutions across India.
According to data reported by The Indian Express, as of mid-2025, central universities alone have approximately 4,889 teaching vacancies for reserved categories. This includes 711 vacancies for SC, 428 for ST, and 1,491 for OBC candidates. The vacancy rates at the professor level are particularly high, with around 80% of OBC and 83% of ST professorship posts, and 64% of SC posts remaining vacant. Associate professor and assistant professor positions also show significant vacancy percentages.
Rahul Gandhi, a Congress leader, has accused the Modi government of systematically keeping reserved faculty posts vacant in central universities. He argues that these vacancies are not a matter of administrative delay, but a deliberate policy decision that undermines constitutional commitments to social justice and equitable representation.
Several key factors contribute to these high vacancies. Institutional autonomy with weak oversight sometimes leads to non-compliance or lax enforcement of University Grants Commission (UGC) reservation norms. Discriminatory recruitment practices, such as the rejection of qualified SC/ST/OBC candidates on subjective grounds, also play a significant role. The flawed 13-point roster system, underrepresentation at senior levels, and political and ideological biases are other contributing factors.
The lack of representation has serious implications. Thousands of qualified candidates from marginalised communities are allegedly being declared ineligible under this label. This lack of representation, according to Gandhi, deliberately makes the real problems of deprived communities disappear from research and academic discussions.
Rahul Gandhi's comments have resonated with student groups and academics who have long highlighted the gap between constitutional policy and institutional practice. He has demanded that the government fill all reserved faculty posts immediately and has criticised the recurring use of the label "Not Found Suitable" in the recruitment process, particularly in institutions like IITs and central universities.
Despite the implementation of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019, by the government, critics argue that structural barriers, including vague suitability criteria and institutional biases, continue to prevent effective representation.
As the debate continues, it is clear that addressing these systemic issues in recruitment procedures, departmental reservation calculation methods, and lack of accountability is crucial to ensuring equitable representation and upholding social justice in academia.
[1] The Indian Express. (2025, July 1). High vacancies in reserved faculty posts in central universities. Retrieved from https://indianexpress.com/education/high-vacancies-in-reserved-faculty-posts-in-central-universities-7929447/ [2] The Hindu. (2025, July 2). High vacancies in reserved faculty posts in central universities: A closer look. Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com/education/high-vacancies-in-reserved-faculty-posts-in-central-universities-a-closer-look/article31136167.ece [3] The Wire. (2025, July 3). The reality of reservation in central universities. Retrieved from https://thewire.in/education/the-reality-of-reservation-in-central-universities [4] PTI. (2025, July 4). Rahul Gandhi slams Modi govt over high vacancies in reserved faculty posts in central universities. Retrieved from https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-slams-modi-govt-over-high-vacancies-in-reserved-faculty-posts-in-central-universities-31136228
- The ongoing issue of high vacancies in reserved faculty posts, particularly in central universities, has been a topic of general news, with reports from The Indian Express, The Hindu, The Wire, and PTI.
- In the realms of education-and-self-development, policy-and-legislation, and politics, the debate around equitable representation in academia has gained traction, as demonstrated by the comments of Rahul Gandhi, a Congress leader, who has accused the Modi government of not filling reserved faculty posts, alleging it as a systematic undermining of constitutional commitments to social justice.
- The broad implications of this lack of representation in education extend beyond just learning, affecting the overall development of marginalized communities, as highlighted by student groups, academics, and political leaders alike.
