Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the Modi government of systematically keeping reserved faculty posts vacant in central universities, alleging it is a “well-planned conspiracy” to exclude marginalised communities, particularly Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backwards Classes (OBCs), from academic spaces, research, and policymaking.
Posting in Hindi on the social media platform X, Gandhi said the data recently presented by the Ministry of Education in Parliament revealed widespread vacancies in reserved posts. He called the numbers “solid proof” of the deliberate sidelining of Bahujans, linking it to what he described as “institutional Manuism”.
According to government figures reported by The Indian Express, 83% of professor-level posts reserved for STs, 80% for OBCs, and 64% for SCs are unfilled in central universities. Assistant professor-level positions show similarly high vacancy rates, 65% for STs, 69% for OBCs, and 51% for SCs. Gandhi argued that this is not a matter of administrative delay, but a deliberate policy decision. “This is not just negligence,” he wrote. “It is a strategy to keep Bahujans out of places where policy is made and research is conducted.”
The Congress MP also criticised the recurring use of the label “Not Found Suitable” in the recruitment process, particularly in institutions like IITs and central universities. He alleged that thousands of qualified candidates from marginalised communities are declared ineligible under this label. “In the name of NFS, thousands of eligible SC, ST and OBC candidates are being rejected under Manuvadi thinking, and the government refuses to take responsibility,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi claimed that the exclusion of marginalised groups from faculty positions also shapes the direction of academic research. “Because of this lack of representation, the real problems of deprived communities are deliberately made to disappear from research and academic discussions,” he said.
Calling the situation unacceptable, he demanded that the government fill all reserved posts immediately and ensure that constitutional guarantees are implemented in practice. “Bahujans should get their rights, not a Manuwadi boycott,” he said.
While the Education Ministry has not issued a response to Gandhi’s remarks, the government has previously defended its record. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has pointed to recent efforts to increase recruitment and reduce backlog, including the implementation of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act, 2019. However, critics argue that structural barriers, including vague suitability criteria and institutional biases, continue to prevent effective representation.
Gandhi’s comments come amid a wider push by the Congress party to spotlight social justice issues, including the demand for a nationwide caste census. His remarks have resonated with student groups and academics who have long highlighted the gap between constitutional policy and institutional practice.
(With inputs from PTI)
