RJD chief Lalu Prasad today claimed that the Centre is doing away with 27 per cent quota for OBCs in recruitment of professors and associate professors in central universities and alleged it was an "attempt to kill the ideology of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar."
However, a senior UGC official in Delhi clarified that as per the norms established in 2007, 27 per cent reservation for OBC candidates in faculty jobs has been allowed at entry level and emphasised, "There has been no change in reservation policy."
Attacking the Union HRD ministry over UGC's June 3 letter to Central Universities, Prasad claimed that it was an attempt by "casteist force of RSS to play with constitutional provision of reservation for OBC."
"Whom do you want to benefit by stealing reservation of OBC?" he asked.
In a letter on June 3, the UGC had written to all central universities to implement the reservation policy as per norms. In the letter, the UGC had said that in teaching positions, reservation for SCs in 15 per cent, STs in 7.5 per cent seats is applicable at all three levels, i.E. Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor.
The letter added that in case of OBCs, 27 per cent quota in teaching positions is applicable at the level of Assistant Professor only. This prompted Prasad to launch an attack on the NDA government claiming it was trying to undo reservation.
The RJD chief claimed that according to government data more than 60 per cent seats of SC/ST/OBC quota for professors are lying vacant.
"This is an attempt to kill the ideology of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar ... Views of Nagpur is given prominence over the Constitution," he alleged, adding more than 60 per cent population of the country who are OBCs would not tolerate this "injustice"
Taking a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he alleged, "RSS is superceding the government ... Where is the PM who claimed himself to be son of a backward caste mother?
"See the irony of history. This anti-social justice work is being taken in the reign of an OBC PM," alleged Prasad, a strong OBC leader himself who had played a prominent role in implementation of Mandal Commission report on quota for OBCs.
