UGC Draft Guidelines on Reserved Seats Spark Controversy, Govt Clarifies No "De-reservation" Planned

A storm erupted over the University Grants Commission's (UGC) draft guidelines proposing to declare unreserved vacancies reserved for SC, ST, and OBC categories if suitable candidates aren't found. Opposition parties slammed the move as a conspiracy to end reservation in higher education, prompting government clarification and student protests.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan clarified that not a single post will be de-reserved and there is no scope of ambiguity about reservations after the introduction of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019. University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar also made it clear that there has been no de-reservation of reserved category positions in Central Educational Institutions (CEI) in the past and there is going to be no such de-reservation. The draft 'Guidelines for Implementation of the Reservation Policy of the Government of India in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs)' are in the public domain for feedback from stakeholders till January 28.

This provision sparked outrage, with the Congress accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of undermining affirmative action policies. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP of "snatching the jobs of youths," while General Secretary Jairam Ramesh called the proposal a "conspiracy to end reservation." Ramesh further linked the draft guidelines to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's past statements advocating for reservation review.

The JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) has declared plans for a protest against UGC Chairman Kumar regarding the issue on Monday. Kumar, in his explanation, stated that the Ministry of Education has instructed all Central Educational Institutions (CEIs) to adhere strictly to the guidelines outlined in the 2019 Act when filling vacancies. Pradhan, speaking to PTI, asserted, There will be no de-reservation of any reserved post. The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act, 2019 leaves no room for ambiguity.