Travancore Devaswom Board educational institutions ignore reservation rules

KOTTAYAM: A significant issue has been brought to light regarding the lack of diversity in educational institutions under the Travancore Devaswom Board. VR Joshi, the former Director of the Department of Backward Development has highlighted a concerning disparity in the representation of various communities among teaching and non-teaching staff.

Investigations conducted by RTI activist Raju Vazhakkala have uncovered a noticeable trend: colleges under the Travancore Devaswom Board predominantly hire staff from forward castes. Shockingly, there is a glaring scarcity of Ezhava and Scheduled Caste people and even more alarming is the absence of Scheduled Tribe representation in any capacity among the employed staff.

One of the primary concerns raised is the failure of the Devaswom Board to adhere to the reservation system for appointments in these educational institutions. This negligence questions the principles of fair representation and equal opportunities for all. Out of a total of 207 teaching staff and 101 non-teaching staff across various colleges, only 81 teachers and 12 non-teachers belong to backward communities.

Further investigation highlights specific colleges like Thalayolaparamba and Sri Ayyappa College where there is a complete absence of Ezhavas among non-teaching staff. Such clear disparities in staff distribution in educational institutions affiliated with the Travancore Devaswom Board raise serious concerns about diversity and equal employment opportunities.

Despite a petition filed a year and a half ago demanding reservation in Devaswom Board educational institutions, the issue remains unresolved. The blame game between the government and the board has prolonged the case leaving the matter in limbo.