“The IIT teaching community had asked that the quota be uniform across streams. While at present there is a quota in the Humanities streams at all levels, for Science and Technology streams, a quota has been proposed at the entry level. They have requested for a uniform quota system in all streams,” said a senior official of the HRD Ministry.

“The request is being considered and a decision will be taken soon in this regard and probably, there will only be entry-level quota at the assistant professor grade across all streams. The issue is being examined,” added the official.

IIT faculty members are hoping the ministry will be willing for this change as they feel a ‘lopsided’ quota and differential quota system for separate streams is not a good idea.

The HRD Ministry had passed the orders for reservation in IIT faculties this June following their meeting with the Standing Committee of the IIT Council (SCIC). With the ministry’s latest orders, the stage is clear for a 49.5 per cent quota in IIT faculty positions — equal to the quota for student admissions in IIT.

“When the SCIC met the HRD Ministry officials in February this year, they recommended that while the IITs would adopt the reservation orders, there should be provision that the reservation not be kept in perpetuity but be reviewed annually and in case no candidate from the reserved category is found worthy enough to fill a faculty position, it be de-reserved next year. The HRD Ministry, in its orders sent in June, has accepted this recommendation and has mentioned this in its orders.”

The provision is also reflected in the minutes of the IIT Standing Committee’s meeting in February this year.

This provides the much-needed cushion to the IIT faculty members who want to preserve the quality of teaching in these premier institutions.

While the faculty members at various IITs are alarmed about the move because of the possible effect on the quality of education, they feel that the acceptance of the Standing Committee recommendation on review of reservation annually will not lead to deterioration of standards in IITs.

“The problem with IITs is not really reservations in faculty. IITs have had reservations in faculty since 1974 after there was an order from the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) on SC/ST reservations. Then the orders came in 1989/1990 for OBC reservations as well. What we were thinking was that the new reservation proposal meant that it was only for entry-level cadre as lecturers.”