DUTA Letter to MHRD: 11.06.2019

                                                                                                                                           
11.06.2019

Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ 
Hon’ble Minister,
Human Resources Development
Shastri Bhavan
New Delhi – 110001

Sub: Regarding Implementation of Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) in Teaching Posts of Delhi University

Dear Shri Pokhriyal,

We write this letter to you to bring to your notice certain fundamental problems faced by the teachers of Delhi University and its colleges in the implementation of reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) in teaching posts. This is in the context of 31st January, 2019 Office Memorandum No.36039/1/2019-Estt (Res) sent by the DoPT. Government of India regarding Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) in direct recruitment in civil posts and services in the Government of India.

As you are aware, thousands of teachers in Delhi University and its colleges have been working on ad hoc basis for several years because there has been hardly any permanent appointments due to one reason or the other. The implementation of EWSs reservation in teaching posts will lead to large scale displacement of teachers currently working against Unreserved (UR) posts on ad hoc basis. To prevent hardship of this huge section of teachers and to ensure principle of natural justice for these affected teachers, it is absolutely necessary that the UGC immediately sanctions additional posts for the implementation of EWSs reservation. Further, we would like to inform you that the Delhi University and its colleges are yet to receive the second tranche of posts under OBC reservations, which has been promised by the UGC in different notifications since 2007. Non-availability of these additional posts will create havoc in the lives of these affected ad hoc teachers who have been working on ad hoc basis as the University, over the years, has failed to conduct permanent interviews.

We would also like to bring to your notice that the above-mentioned  DoPT Office Memorandum defines the term “Family” for purpose of EWSs reservations as “will include the persons who seeks benefits of reservation…as also his/her spouse…” This inclusion of the income of the applicant as well as his/her spouse has complicated the entire situation. For instance, if a teacher is appointed on ad hoc basis in Delhi University and its colleges against the EWS post for a year, then according to this Office Memorandum, it means that he/she will be ineligible to apply for the same post or any other EWS post next year as his/her annual salary would exceed 8 lakhs. Then, if both spouses are working on ad hoc basis against EWS post for a year, again as per this Office Memorandum, both spouses will be ineligible to apply for EWS posts next year as their cumulative incomes will exceed the 8 lakh barrier.

As you are aware, the Central Educational Institutions (Reservations in Teachers’ Cadre) Ordinance 2019, was promulgated on 7 March 2019 and it led to the restoration of the basis of College/University as a unit for reservation for teaching post (as opposed to the 5 March 2018 UGC/MHRD notification that directed implementation taking Subject/ Departments as units). We now appeal to you to bring a Bill on Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre using College/ University as a unit. It must also incorporate provisions for EWSs Reservation in the bill.


We urge you to keep in abeyance the EWS reservation in appointment of teachers in educational institutions till the above issues are resolved.

Thanking you
Yours sincerely,