CPM MP urges Centre to fill IIT-Madras teaching aspirants' backlog vacancies from SC/ST categories

MADURAI: CPM MP from Madurai Su Venkatesan urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to declare backlog vacancies reserved for OBC, SC, ST  candidates in the recruitment drive held for teaching faculties at IIT-Madras.

In a letter sent to the minister, Venkatesan said the uncertainty shows the lack of conviction on the part of Central Education Institutions (CEIs) to resolve the issue. "In the results of the Mission mode recruitment drive, I am informed only 23 out of 49 vacancies have been filled and remaining vacancies remain unfilled, citing the reason 'none found eligible'. To say none of the candidates from these categories are eligible is against social justice. It is simply an abdication of responsibility from the government," he added.

Further, the minister said he was told that the government cannot interfere in backlog vacancies, as CEIs and IITs are autonomous. "I brought to your attention the backlog of vacancies in Central University of Tamil Nadu at Tiruvarur, to which the reply came 'none found suitable' and 'inadequacy of applications'. Reservation is an obligation under the constitution,' the letter said.

Venkatesan also urged the minister to form a committee involving eminent scholars who espouse the cause of social justice to monitor and review the process of Mission Mode Recruitment in CEIs.