16 posts lost: Widespread violations of reservation rules in Govt Arts & Science College appointments
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Allegations of widespread reservation subversion have surfaced regarding the appointment of Principals in Government Arts and Science Colleges. A total of 16 posts that should have been allotted to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) were lost.
The 16 lost positions comprise four posts for Scheduled Castes (SC), three each for the Ezhava and Muslim communities, two each for Latin Catholic and OBC categories, and one each for the Dheevara and Viswakarma sections.
Furthermore, despite the presence of a qualified teacher within the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category, no appointment was granted. The appointments of Principals in 33 colleges were carried out just prior to the announcement of the Assembly elections.
As per UGC regulations, appointments are to be made for a 5-year tenure by inviting fresh applications from teachers with no less than 15 years of service. Reservation rules must be strictly adhered to in such appointments.
While the proceedings were completed under the Direct Recruitment method, mandatory procedural steps—including the advance notification of posts reserved for specific categories—were not followed. The reservation rotation was also ignored. Critics allege that these procedural lapses were "shortcuts" designed to appoint favoured candidates.
There were three lists prepared for the appointments, showing significant inconsistencies:
- 14 individuals from the first list disappeared by the time the third list was released.
- 15 individuals from the second list were excluded from the third list.
- Conversely, a teacher who did not feature in the first two lists appeared in the third list with a score of 110.
The methodology for determining marks based on the Research Score remains ambiguous. While UGC criteria mandate 10 publications in UGC-approved journals, it is alleged that even articles in college magazines were considered. By over-emphasising the research score (setting a requirement of 10 research papers and a score of 110), long-term teaching experience and seniority were sidelined.
The following rotation points, which should have been reserved for backward communities, were allegedly filled by other categories:
- Posts 2, 4, 6, and 8: Originally designated for Ezhava, SC, Muslim, and Latin Catholic categories respectively; however, candidates from these sections were not appointed.
- Posts 12, 14, 18, and 20: Designated for SC, Ezhava, Dheevara, and Viswakarma respectively; these were not filled according to the rules.
- Posts 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, and 32: Designated for Latin Catholic, SC, Muslim, Ezhava, OBC, and SC respectively; these mandates were also violated.