Over half of the faculty positions at IIMs are reserved for SC, ST, OBC: Govt

Indian Institute of Management (IIMs), the premier B-schools in the country have 50 per cent of the faculty positions reserved for SCs, STs and OBCs, shows data shared by the Education Ministry in Lok Sabha on Monday.

Responding to a question asked by three MPs, Ramesh Pokhriyal informed the Lower House that vacancies in reserved posts at centrally-run higher education institutes range between 20 and 90 per cent, with IIMs having the most.

In these 20 B-schools, 62 per cent of faculty vacancies are for SCs, 79 per cent for SCs and 63 per cent for OBCs. In the 42 central universities, the vacancies at reserved posts are comparatively less at 39 per cent for SCs, 42 per cent for STs and 52 per cent for OBCs.

The IIMs have earlier this year collectively approached the government seeking exemption for reserving its faculty positions. They have also requested the HRD Ministry to add them to the list of “Institutes of Excellence” mentioned in the Schedule to the Central Educational Institutions Act 2019 that exempts is from providing reservations. IIMs claimed that since their teaching posts are technical, exemption from reservation should be granted.

On the other hand the premier engineering colleges, IITs have 47 per cent ST positions, 42 per cent OBC seats and 36 per cent SC vacancies that found no takers.

The Education Minister has repeatedly asked the University Grants Commission to recruit vacant positions in the universities. The Department of Personnel and Training has earlier opposed the practice of de-reserving faculty posts at IITs after a year if they do not get filled after the Ministry asked its views on government-appointed committees recommendation of exempting IITs from reserving faculty positions.