🎓 Why Are Reserved Faculty Posts Still Vacant? The Unseen Barrier to Social Justice

Despite India’s robust affirmative action policies, a large number of faculty positions reserved for SC, ST, OBC, and EWS candidates in premier institutions like IITs, IIMs, and AIIMS remain vacant. This persistent gap not only undermines social justice but also deprives marginalized communities of visible role models in academia.

🔹 What’s Keeping These Positions Empty?

Autonomy Without Accountability: Top institutions enjoy significant independence, reducing oversight on filling reserved posts.

Selection Bias: Dominant social groups often control selection committees, leading to implicit or explicit exclusion of candidates from marginalized backgrounds.

Roster System Reform: Shifting from an institution-wide roster to a department-wise 13-point roster makes it easier to leave reserved seats vacant without scrutiny.

Opaque Processes: Lack of regular audits and public reporting allows these vacancies to persist unnoticed.

🔹 What Needs to Change?

✅ Strict implementation of reservation guidelines and SOPs to eliminate discretionary gaps.

✅ Special recruitment drives, as seen in JNU, to proactively fill vacant positions.

✅ Diversity in selection committees to counter systemic biases.

✅ Mandatory sensitization programs for academic leadership to view reservations as empowering potential, not charity.

✅ Transparent, regular publication of vacancy data to ensure accountability — because as they say, sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Without immediate action, the vision of inclusive, equitable education remains out of reach for millions.

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