New Delhi – The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, a prestigious autonomous institution under the Ministry of Education, is embroiled in controversy as SC/ST and PWD candidates accuse its administration of systemic discrimination.

The primary grievance centers on the institute’s refusal to abolish interviews for Group-B/C (non-gazetted) staff recruitments, defying a decade-old government directive aimed at eliminating corruption and caste-based bias. Additional allegations of concealing reservation rosters to manipulate SC/ST vacancies further intensify the claims of harassment.

The accusations point to senior officials, including the Deputy Director, Registrar, and Assistant Registrar (Recruitment), who are alleged to have maintained discriminatory policies for over ten years. Complainants, claim that the authorities have systematically flouted central government guidelines, dismissing grievances with misleading responses and obstructing the career progression of SC/ST and PWD employees.

Defiance of Government Directives on Interview Ban

Under condition of anonymity, a complainant informed The Mooknayak that on August 15, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed all government departments and autonomous institutions (such as IITs) to eliminate interviews for recruitment to Group-B/C positions.

Subsequently, in April 2017, Dr. Jitendra Singh (then Minister of DOPT) issued an Office Memorandum (OM No. 13), mandating that selection be based solely on written examinations and skill tests.

The Central Government has abolished the interview-based selection process in most departments and replaced it with a merit-based written examination system. In parliamentary assurances against corruption, the government also promised to ensure a transparent and merit-based selection process.

The complainant stated that in this regard, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2448 (asked by Harish Meena) and Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2365 (asked by Javed Ali Khan) can be referenced. However, IIT Roorkee is unwilling to comply with these directives from the Prime Minister, Parliament, and DOPT. The institute continues to conduct promotions for Group-B/C (Non-Gazetted) posts solely based on interviews and has not obtained any clearance from DOPT for this practice. According to information available on IIT Roorkee’s website, around seven promotion processes for Group-B/C posts have been conducted between 2021 and 2025.

IIT Roorkee has disregarded the rule and still conducts interviews for recruitment and promotions in Group-B/C posts. The complainant argues that this harms SC/ST candidates, especially those with hearing disabilities, as their vulnerabilities are exploited during interviews. This leads to mental stress and forced resignations, further reducing the representation of these marginalized groups in the institute.

Concealment of Reservation Rosters

A serious allegation has been leveled against IIT Roorkee for not making its reservation roster publicly available. Under Article 16 of the Indian Constitution, reservation rosters are maintained to ensure adequate representation of SC/ST candidates in government jobs. As per DOPT guidelines dated December 31, 1992, these rosters are not confidential and must be made accessible to the public. Additionally, Section 4(2) of the RTI Act, 2005, mandates proactive disclosure of such information.

In January 2021, the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) also directed all government institutions to publish their rosters online for transparency. While institutions like AIIMS Delhi comply with this directive, IIT Roorkee stands accused of deliberately concealing its roster to manipulate SC/ST vacancies and backlog positions.

Key Demands by Affected Candidates

The affected candidates have outlined three key demands:

1. Eliminate Interviews: Immediate abolition of interviews for all Group-B/C recruitments and promotions, replacing them with merit-based exams and skill tests, as per DOPT guidelines.

2. Transparent Rosters: Public disclosure of reservation rosters on IIT Roorkee’s website, detailing SC/ST vacancies and backlogs.

3. Accountability: Vigilance action against administrative officers and Ministry of Education officials for obstructing SC/ST and PWD candidates, in violation of PMO and parliamentary guidelines.

Registrar Dismisses All Allegations as "False and Fabricated"

To understand IIT Roorkee's official stance on these allegations, The Mooknayak reached out to the institute's Director and Registrar via email. Only the Registrar responded, categorically denying all charges as "false and baseless." However, the response notably failed to provide any clarification on why interviews are still being conducted for recruitments despite the central government's ban. The Registrar's response read:

"Thanks for bringing the trailing allegations to our notice. All these allegations are false, fabricated, and so outrightly rejected. 

It is also to bring to your notice that the complainant seems to be motivated by some vested interest, and so desperately repeating and painting his allegations at various available portals, right from the complaints, RTI, RTI appeals, CPGRAM, Ministry, PMO, etc. All were responded with facts. However, the complainant continues to file, many a time with different IDs and names, and doing mischief. The same complaint is pending before the Hon'ble Court of the Chief Commissioner for Divyangjan, and the institute will bring all the facts before the Hon'ble Court."