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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Not found suitable: Reality of Dalit, Adivasi and OBCs in Indian universities
Various bodies governing academic institutions have established systems to ensure transparency and accountability in recruitment, promotions, and related academic activities. The teaching experience, papers published in refereed journals, research projects, and other accomplishments are the blueprints on which academic careers are built. All these 'academic' activities are not value-neutral and must be read through a socio-political prism. Often, the media highlights caste-based discrimination during recruitments/promotions. Still, nothing changes. Last week, while responding to a question from Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, the Centre informed the RS that 80 per cent of the posts sanctioned in central universities for professors under the OBC category and nearly 83 per cent in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category are currently vacant. However, there is no centralised data on 'not found suitable' (NFS). It was recently reported that the University of Delhi snubbed a scientist belonging to the SC community as NFS to be promoted as professor. Similar instances could also be found during direct recruitments for reserved positions. The Registrar of Rajasthan Central University, in a notification dated May 29, provided a list of selected candidates for teaching positions. More than 50 per cent of positions were declared 'NFS' — 11 among them belong to SC/ST/OBC and EWS (two positions) categories at various levels. The data provided fails to mention the number of women candidates from these communities who have been declared NFS. The data compiled on higher education reveals that increasing numbers of SC/ST and OBC candidates are accessing higher education institutions. So, it is not the lack of 'qualified' and eligible candidates that keeps these seats vacant. According to German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, universities carry the seeds of the reproduction of social life-worlds and hence, constant vigilance is required to unleash its transformative potential. Similarly, sociologist Pierre Bourdieu emphasised that education plays a key role in maintaining the status quo , thereby perpetuating existing social inequalities. This is apparent in the deeply hierarchical Indian society. In public institutions, due to constitutional provisions, reservation has become mandatory, but a line needs to be drawn when it comes to teaching appointments/promotions. Only through promotions will the candidates from the marginalised communities be able to become associate professors, professors, deans and heads of the departments. This is the only way to ensure their active participation in decision-making bodies. However, 'casteplaining' prevalent in academia doesn't let this happen. Recently, Bangalore University was in the news as Dalit faculty alleged that despite having served in administrative roles for several years, alongside their teaching responsibilities, they are being 'sidelined' in appointments to statutory positions and are being given only 'supervisory' roles without adequate authority or recognition. Academia involves not only the attainment of relevant knowledge but also the grasping of soft skills such as mannerisms, clothing, diction, etc. This cultural capital, or the lack of it, becomes difficult to navigate during the selection process. Women candidates lose out if their speech or body language is seen as aggressive. Such candidates seem to disturb the equanimity of the department. I was part of an interview panel to select assistant professors for a private university. A Dalit woman candidate had a good grasp of the subject matter but lacked a polished English accent. The head of the panel observed that she would not be able to 'manage' the class as her speaking skills were limited. The class had students from management and commerce backgrounds from affluent families. Hence, even after recruitment, many were asked to perform more administrative duties than classroom teaching. Another bone of contention during the selection process is the quality of publications, which are subjective in nature. The publishing field is an exclusive zone, and very few students have the wherewithal to publish in 'reputed'/'impact factor' journals. Support of the research supervisor/mentors/peer group is vital in getting published, as one needs the right academic network to get labelled a good scholar. For the past few years, UGC has published the Care List of journals, and only those publications have been given weightage. Many journals that dealt with caste, gender, marginality, exclusion, etc., were removed from the list. Often, dubious and predatory journals had a higher 'impact factor' than scholarly ones such as the Economic and Political Weekly. Many were forced to pay to get the required scores. Even after the applications are screened by a duly constituted committee, the interview panel can refuse to recognise the publications commenting on their quality, language and content. What has seldom been acknowledged in the recruitment process are the ideological affiliations of the institutions/candidates. This is also a major reason for candidates being declared NFS. In the majority of the selection committees, experts constitute a small pool, belonging to the dominant communities, while exercising their caste and gender privileges. In DU colleges, the same set of experts is called to conduct the interviews, which raises questions of impartiality and fairness of the selection process. In DU and JNU, many teachers who protested against the institution were denied promotions for many years, citing flimsy reasons. The situation in regional and state universities is even worse. Journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson succinctly observed that when an 'accident of birth' aligns with what is most valued in a given caste system — being able-bodied, male, white, or other such traits — it becomes their moral duty to develop empathy for those who must endure the indignities they have been spared. It calls for a radical kind of empathy. This implies that as a society, we need to relearn a new consciousness, to understand another's experience from their perspective, not as we imagine. Only through such engagements can we rebuild institutions based on equality and fraternity, and the objective of social justice be attained. The writer is professor in Political Science, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi. He is the author of Caste Discrimination and Exclusion in Indian Universities: A Critical Reflection (Routledge)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
EC must stop SIR, says opposition; calls it ‘exercise of exclusion'
NEW DELHI: Ahead of SC hearing on special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls, opposition INDIA bloc on Sunday alleged it is an "exercise of exclusion", questioning data released by Election Commission after SIR's first phase that 66 lakh people might be excluded on grounds such as "deceased, permanently shifted or untraceable. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now " Congress functionary Abhishek Singhvi said EC should not show "institutional arrogance" with INDIA bloc parties from Bihar urging the poll panel to stop SIR as it will result in "large-scale disenfranchisement of poor and marginalised sections". "Recent pressers of EC and refusal to accept Aadhaar, EPIC, and ration card as valid documents clearly point towards the fact that the entire SIR process is a citizenship verification process," he alleged. EC responded by asking why opposition parties are trying to create "an impression that the draft list is the final list, which it is not, as per SIR order. " It said it is not able to understand the big fuss now, when a full one month period from Aug 1-Sept 1 is available to point out wrongful inclusion or wrongful exclusion of any name. "Why don't the parties ask their not 1.6 lakh booth level agents to submit claims and objections from Aug 1-Sept 1 ?" it asked. Gearing up to step up the protests both inside and outside Parliament, Congress, RJD, CPM and CPI (ML)-Liberation leaders at a presser expressed fear that many more people will be excluded from rolls during the verification process ahead due to lack of documents like birth, caste and domicile certificates. RJD MP Manoj Jha said the whole SIR process is based on presumptions. "Clearly, opacity has become the hallmark of EC functioning," Jha said. "There is no time or option for the right to appeal for people who will be excluded in the whole process. There are also numerous reports of people found alive who are included in the dead list," he alleged. On the number of deceased, CPI (ML)-Liberation Dipankar Bhattacharya said, "Does this mean that in just six months, around 22 lakh people have passed away? So, does this mean the EC's January 2025 summary revision was a flop?"
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Draft Bihar poll roll not final list, clarifies Election Commision
The Election Commission on Sunday hit out at those who, it claimed, were creating an impression that the draft voters' list to be published in Bihar will be the final roll. The poll authority said it is "not able to understand" that when a full one-month period from August 1 till September 1 is available to point out wrongful inclusion or wrongful exclusion of any name, "why are they creating such a big fuss now?" The EC's statement came on the conclusion of the month-long phase one of Bihar's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters' list, where house-to-house surveys were held to distribute semi-filled enumeration forms to the electorate that were to be returned after being filled up. Enumeration forms from 7.24 crore electors have been received. The EC also said that 36 lakh people were found to have either permanently shifted or were not found. It pointed out that seven lakh Bihar electors were found to have been enrolled at multiple places. "Why not ask their 1.6 lakh booth-level agents to submit claims and objections from August 1 till September 1," the Commission quipped. Booth-level agents appointed by political parties work with the EC's booth-level officers in preparing or updating the voters' list. "Why are some persons trying to give an impression that the draft list is the final list, which it is not, as per special intensive revision orders," the EC statement said. Various opposition parties in the state, which goes to the polls later this year, have claimed that crores of eligible citizens will be disenfranchised during the roll revision for want of documents. They have also claimed that the ruling BJP will benefit as the state machinery in Bihar will target people opposed to the ruling alliance in the state. Stepping up its attack, the Congress on Sunday said the Election Commission should not have "institutional arrogance" and asked it to stop the SIR in Bihar. At a joint press conference with CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, RJD MP Manoj Jha and CPI(M) leader Nilotpal Basu, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the exercise being undertaken by the EC has become a "citizenship test" and questioned its legality. "I humbly request the Election Commission, this is not a matter of political obstinacy. It is not a matter of institutional arrogance. Please reconsider it. Everyone is urging you," he said. The BJP hit back at the INDIA bloc parties for their opposition to SIR, alleging they were trying to "rob" Indian democracy on the back of foreign infiltrators. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Election Commission's drive is aimed at bringing required changes in electoral rolls through transparency. He alleged that the INDIA bloc parties have been winning in places where the presence of infiltrators has brought maximum changes in demography.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Draft Bihar poll roll not final list: Election Commission questions narrative
The Election Commission on Sunday hit out at those who, it claimed, were creating an impression that the draft voters' list to be published in Bihar will be the final roll. The poll authority said it is "not able to understand" that when a full one-month period from August 1 till September 1 is available to point out wrongful inclusion or wrongful exclusion of any name, "why are they creating such a big fuss now?" Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Design Thinking Technology Product Management others Leadership Public Policy Project Management Data Science Cybersecurity MCA CXO Degree Management MBA Operations Management Digital Marketing Finance Data Analytics Artificial Intelligence Data Science healthcare PGDM Others Healthcare Skills you'll gain: Duration: 22 Weeks IIM Indore CERT-IIMI DTAI Async India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 25 Weeks IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK PCP DTIM Async India Starts on undefined Get Details The EC's statement came on the conclusion of the month-long phase one of Bihar's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters' list, where house-to-house surveys were held to distribute semi-filled enumeration forms to the electorate that were to be returned after being filled up. Enumeration forms from 7.24 crore electors have been received. The EC also said that 36 lakh people were found to have either permanently shifted or were not found. It pointed out that seven lakh Bihar electors were found to have been enrolled at multiple places. Live Events "Why not ask their 1.6 lakh booth-level agents to submit claims and objections from August 1 till September 1," the Commission quipped. Booth-level agents appointed by political parties work with the EC's booth-level officers in preparing or updating the voters' list. "Why are some persons trying to give an impression that the draft list is the final list, which it is not, as per special intensive revision orders," the EC statement said. Various opposition parties in the state, which goes to the polls later this year, have claimed that crores of eligible citizens will be disenfranchised during the roll revision for want of documents. They have also claimed that the ruling BJP will benefit as the state machinery in Bihar will target people opposed to the ruling alliance in the state. Stepping up its attack, the Congress on Sunday said the Election Commission should not have "institutional arrogance" and asked it to stop the SIR in Bihar. At a joint press conference with CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, RJD MP Manoj Jha and CPI(M) leader Nilotpal Basu, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the exercise being undertaken by the EC has become a "citizenship test" and questioned its legality. "I humbly request the Election Commission, this is not a matter of political obstinacy. It is not a matter of institutional arrogance. Please reconsider it. Everyone is urging you," he said. The BJP hit back at the INDIA bloc parties for their opposition to SIR, alleging they were trying to "rob" Indian democracy on the back of foreign infiltrators. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Election Commission's drive is aimed at bringing required changes in electoral rolls through transparency. He alleged that the INDIA bloc parties have been winning in places where the presence of infiltrators has brought maximum changes in demography.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
SIR in Bihar: INDIA bloc terms it 'institutional arrogance'; claims NDA parties also affected by exercise
NEW DELHI: The INDIA bloc on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission over the ongoing Systematic Investigation and Revision (SIR) exercise, alleging that the voter deletion process is marred by opacity, flawed data, and institutional arrogance. Citing EC data that over 63 lakh voters were found 'not at address' due to death, migration, or other reasons, the Opposition demanded that the exercise be halted immediately. They also said the issue is not limited to INDIA bloc voters alone, NDA allies, too, are being affected, and vowed to take the matter to the people. Here are the key quotes from the press conference: Abhishek Manu Singhvi (Congress): 'The entire exercise reeks of institutional arrogance. There are too many inconsistencies and no clarity.' 'This is not a correction exercise; this is exclusion in the name of verification.' Manoj Jha (RJD): 'Opacity has become the hallmark of your functioning.' '63 lakh voters are being considered for deletion, and the number may grow. This is disenfranchisement.' INDIA bloc statement : 'Our apprehension is turning out to be true. We had warned that this drive would ultimately lead to the exclusion of nearly 2 crore people.' 'The EC is basing voter deletions on flawed form-based data. The scrutiny is not over, more exclusions are likely in the coming month.' Demand: 'The SIR exercise must be stopped immediately. It is fraught with procedural lapses and data errors.' The Opposition has urged the Election Commission to address these concerns transparently, warning that continued deletion without proper verification threatens democratic participation.
