Union cabinet set to discuss ordinance on reservation mechanism in universities

The Union Cabinet is likely to take up an ordinance on Thursday on the reservation mechanism for university teachers, sources said Tuesday. "The HRD Ministry had sent an ordinance on reservation mechanism for faculties in universities for Cabinet approval and the same is likely to be taken up on Thursday," a source said.

Earlier in the day, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Centre was committed to restore the reservation roster \Rin educational institutions and there was "no need" for any agitation. Various students' and teachers' organisations have been urging the government to bring an ordinance to restore the 200-point roster taking college or university as a unit for reservation in teaching posts.

"Few groups have decided to agitate. I would like to assure them that they need not agitate, the government will do justice. We will bring the 200-point reservation roster and how we will do it will be clear within two days," Javadekar told reporters. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had announced last March that an individual department should be considered as the base unit to calculate the number of teaching posts to be reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates, following an order by the Allahabad High Court in April 2017.

The Supreme Court had last month dismissed a review petition filed by the HRD Ministry after its special leave petition against the court order was rejected by the apex court. Javadekar had said in the Lok Sabha on February 11 that the government can "bring an ordinance if its review petition filed in the top court is rejected".

(With inputs from agencies.)