JNU VC Clarifies: No De-Reservation of Posts in Jawaharlal Nehru University

In a statement, Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice Chancellor highlighted the university's commitment to inclusivity, citing the recruitment of a record number of faculty members from reserved categories during her tenure

Jawaharlal Nehru University's Vice-Chancellor, Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, has issued a categorical clarification amidst recent concerns about alleged de-reservation policies at the university. Prof Pandit emphasized that no posts in JNU have been de-reserved under her leadership.

In a statement, Prof Pandit highlighted the university's commitment to inclusivity, citing the recruitment of a record number of faculty members from reserved categories during her tenure. She stated, "In the 54-year-old history of JNU, the highest number of reserved category faculty have been recruited during my tenure as VC, and we are proud of implementing the Constitutional guarantees under the Reservation policy as stipulated by MoE, GOI."

The Vice-Chancellor referred to the existing Office Memorandum No.36012/17/2002-Estt. (Res) issued on 6th November 2003, which clearly prohibits de-reservation for any category of vacancies for SC, ST, and OBC in direct recruitment. Prof Pandit emphasized that the interchangeability of these categories is also strictly disallowed, aligning with the stance of the Supreme Court of India.

In response to the controversy, the Education Ministry issued a statement reinforcing the adherence to reservation policies in Central Educational Institutions. The statement read, "Reservation in Central Educational Institutions (CEI) is provided for all posts in direct recruitment in Teacher’s cadre as per the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act, 2019. After enactment of this Act, no reserved post is to be de-reserved."

The Ministry of Education has directed all Central Educational Institutions to strictly adhere to the provisions of the 2019 Act when filling up vacancies. This statement seeks to put an end to speculations and concerns surrounding the reservation policies in educational institutions, including JNU.