IIMs request MHRD for exemption from quota in teaching positions

The IIMs, which currently do not offer reservation in teaching positions, have been asked by MHRD to provide quota in faculty positions for SC, ST, OBC and EWS candidates.

All the 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have requested the Human Resource Development Ministry to exempt them from reserving positions in the teaching staff for the reserved category (Scheduled Cate, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes and Economically weaker sections).

The Ministry has asked the premier business schools, which presently don’t offer reservation in teaching positions, to provide quota in faculty positions for SC, ST, OBC and EWS candidates.

The B-schools have made the request saying that they adopt a fair recruitment process and give everyone equal opportunities, including the disadvantaged sections of the society. Until now, the institutes have been following the 1975 order of the Department of Personnel & Training that exempts scientific and technical posts from the reservation policy.

In a letter sent to the MHRD last week, the representatives of the IIMs demanded to be included in the list of ‘Institutions of Excellence’ since that would allow them to not reserve positions for the four categories.

In November last year, the MHRD had written to all the institutes to ensure the implementation of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act.
On Wednesday (January 2, 2020) a separate communication was sent to all the IIMs to ensure the reservation of posts in direct recruitment considering the institute as a unit specified in the Act (which came into effect on March 7, 2019).