New Delhi- The scenario in India’s premier higher education institutions is deeply upsetting for Bahujan communities, as over 90% of faculty positions in several Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are held by individuals from the General category. Similarly, in 21 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), more than 80% of faculty representation comes from the General section. These figures severely violate the constitutionally mandated reservation norms meant to ensure diversity and inclusion.

This glaring inequity was the focus of a press conference held in New Delhi by the All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) on Monday. Rajya Sabha MP P. Wilson and AIOBCSA National President Kiran Kumar Gowd led the event, presenting data that highlighted the systemic exclusion of marginalised communities and demanded urgent corrective measures.

Shocking Figures and Policy Violations

RTI responses received by AIOBCSA in September 2024 laid bare the disproportionate faculty composition in institutions like IIM Indore, where 97.2% of faculty positions are held by individuals from the General category, leaving no representation for Scheduled Castes (SC) or Scheduled Tribes (ST).

Similar trends were observed at IIM Udaipur and IIM Lucknow, where over 90% of faculty are from the General category.

In IITs, the numbers paint an equally bleak picture. Over 90% of faculty at IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur are from the General category, with IITs in Mandi, Gandhinagar, Kanpur, Guwahati, and Delhi reporting 80-90% General category faculty.

Across 13 IIMs, 82.8% of faculty are from the General category, while representation for SCs (5%), STs (1%), and OBCs (9.6%) falls drastically short of the mandated 15%, 7.5%, and 27%, respectively.

Similarly, in 21 IITs, 80% of faculty positions are held by the General category, with SCs at 6%, STs at 1.6%, and OBCs at 11.2%.

Adding to the crisis, hundreds of reserved positions remain unfilled. Seven IIMs report 256 vacancies, including 88 for OBCs, 54 for SCs, and 30 for STs. Eleven IITs have 1,557 faculty vacancies, with 415 reserved for OBCs, 234 for SCs, and 129 for STs.

AIOBCSA’s Call for Action

Speaking at the press meet, MP P. Wilson called the situation an outright violation of the Constitution. “This blatant disregard for reservation policies is not just an oversight; it is a systemic attempt to exclude marginalized communities from positions of influence in academia,” he said.

AIOBCSA National President Kiran Kumar Gowd emphasized the urgent need for intervention, stating that the skewed faculty composition perpetuates exclusion and denies opportunities to underrepresented groups. The association presented a set of demands for the Ministry of Education, including:

1. Conducting an independent review of faculty recruitment processes.

2. Enforcing strict adherence to reservation policies.

3. Publishing transparent faculty rosters.

4. Filling vacant reserved positions without delay.

5. Establishing accountability mechanisms to ensure compliance.

The press meet also included participation from AIOBCSA National Advisor Er. Alla Ramakrishna, National Convenor Pankaj Rajashekar Kushwaha, and other key office-bearers.

The speakers pointed out that institutions like IIT Patna and IIM Jammu have shown that proper implementation of reservation policies is possible, demonstrating that the current failures are rooted in lack of commitment rather than systemic challenges.

The data shared by AIOBCSA raises critical questions about the state of social justice in India’s elite educational institutions. As MP Wilson noted, “If we cannot ensure diversity and representation in our premier institutions, we are failing the very communities these policies are designed to uplift.”

The association’s demands reflect a growing consensus that token measures are insufficient. To uphold constitutional values and promote equity, it is imperative that these institutions address the glaring disparities in faculty representation and ensure that reservation policies are implemented in both letter and spirit.