Weaker Section Deserve Reservation Policy
Dr. Baldev Singh Negi
(The writer is Project Officer cum Faculty MBA-RD at HP University, Shimla)
Himachal Pradesh is abode to about 25% schedule castes, five percent schedule tribe, more than 15% OBCs and disabled population is 2.25% among the total population of about 68 lakh. There are many organisations in the state claiming to be the vanguard of these depressed communities naming as morchas, manch and claiming them self de facto fighter apart from political parties. However, Himachal Pradesh University has ignored the reservation policy while advertising 224 seats for admission to Ph.D in different subjects. It is pertinent to mention here that the University Grant Commission is the apex body to regulations on minimum standards of education and its notification appeared in the Gazette of India on the month of May, 2016. Its clause 5.2.3 clearly envisages that adhere to the National/state reservation policy, as applicable. In the light of UGC above notification university is bound to follow the state reservation policy at the time of admission in 224 Ph.D. seats.
The state government is giving reservation in different ways e.g. in government services for class I & II for SC’s 15%, ST’s 5%, OBC’s 12% and for PwD it is 3%. For class-III & IV, there is 22% reservation for SC’s, 7.5% for ST’s, 18% for OBC’s and 3% for disabled. In the light of above state reservation Policy University has to follow the same pattern while granting admission not only in M.Phil & Ph.D courses but for other post-graduate and graduate courses as well. The office of dean of studies in the university is empowered to conduct all entrance, other semester and annual examinations in free and transparent manner by considering university’s and UGC’s regulations and various government rules. While talking about the transparency it is the paramount duty of the two offices, the office of Dean of Studies and Controller of Examination to ensure transparency as well as secrecy.
It is again evident the HP University campus is highly volatile with respect to the students politics and many teaching personal are directly office bearer to students’ as well as party’s mass organisations. In that situation it is suggested to these responsible offices to set the question papers from experts of other university or the institution instead of same department of the university. There are various Acts being enacted by the parliament such as SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocity) Act, 1989 to ensure the rights of the concerned communities and prevent atrocities on them. Therefore ignoring the important reservation policy in the light of clear cut notification by the university grant commission may be viewed not less than conspiracy against the SC’s, ST’s and OBC’s and may be covered under these Acts as such. The act of ignoring the reservation policy is just a mistake for the perpetrators but for aggrieved it is future and the sole responsibility is of the state to protect the fundamental right of an individual and uphold the rule of law.
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