Pradhan and Kharge Clash on Central University Vacancies: Over 38% SC/ST/OBC Posts Remain Unfilled, Reveals RTI
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan responds to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s concerns on vacant posts in central universities, citing government actions to address the issue.
Image source X (formerly Twitter)
In a sharp exchange over vacancies in central universities, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge took to X (formerly Twitter) to address the state of unfilled teaching and non-teaching positions.
Kharge initiated the discussion with a tweet accusing the Modi government of neglecting reserved teaching posts for marginalized communities. He cited a recent RTI revealing that of the 18,940 teaching posts in 46 central universities, 27% remain vacant. His post added that SC, ST, and OBC vacancies are disproportionately higher, with 32.1% of SC, 40.3% of ST, and 41.8% of OBC teaching posts unfilled.
Additionally, he highlighted that 71% of posts reserved for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and 55% of professor positions were also vacant, saying, “Modi Government's slogan 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' mocks the fight for social justice by snubbing it!”
Responding to Kharge’s claims, Pradhan accused the Congress of a “habit of lying,” noting that during the Congress-led UPA administration in 2014, 37% of central university posts were vacant, with SC, ST, and OBC posts severely underfilled at 57%, 63%, and 60%, respectively. Pradhan emphasized that, in contrast, the Modi government has made substantial efforts to reduce vacancies. Despite an increase in sanctioned posts to 18,940 by 2024, he stated that the overall vacancy rate has decreased to 26.8%.
Pradhan further detailed government measures, saying over 6,890 teaching positions have been filled in the past two years alone. He pointed out that these appointments include 13.6% from SC, 6.7% from ST, 22.27% from OBC, and 5.05% from EWS categories, with recruitment efforts ongoing to ensure fair representation. He also highlighted the 2019 passage of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act by the Modi government, which aims to address bottlenecks in reservations for marginalized communities.
The heated exchange underscores a broader debate on social representation and education reform. Pradhan concluded his response by questioning the Congress’s record on reservations, stating that the Congress “worked to deny rights of SC, ST, and OBC” for decades. He argued that the Modi government has actively supported these communities, unlike previous administrations.
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Abhay an alumnus of IIMC and Delhi University, has over a decade long experience of reporting on various beats of journalism. During his free time he prefers listening to music or play indoor and outdoor games.