ICAR faces backlash for overturning reservation, making lateral entry appointments in senior posts

NEW DELHI: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is facing severe criticism for allegedly bypassing reservation norms in the appointment of senior scientists and other high-ranking positions through lateral entry recruitment. Since 2007, over 2,700 reserved posts meant for Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) have been filled without adhering to reservation policies, in direct violation of the Supreme Court's ruling that mandates reservation in promotions.

Lateral entry recruitment has been used to fill 1,884 posts, including Senior Scientist, Principal Scientist, Director, Director General, Additional Director General, Head of Department, Regional Center and Project Coordinator roles. These appointments bypass the traditional promotion process, where reservation is supposed to be followed.

ICAR, one of the world’s largest agricultural research institutes, employs 6,304 scientists. Of these, 4,420 were appointed through the Agricultural Scientist Recruitment Service (ARS) after qualifying examinations and interviews that adhered to reservation principles. However, since 2007, direct recruitment to 113 posts of Senior Scientist and above has been conducted by the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB), often through separate advertisements that require only an interview to qualify, effectively bypassing the reservation system.

As a result, many scientists with over 25 years of service after their ARS appointment have been denied promotion to higher Research Management Posts (RMPs) due to the influx of lateral entry recruits. The posts reserved for OBC, SC and ST candidates have often been filled without following the necessary reservation guidelines and the requirement to include representatives from these groups on the ASRB selection boards has also been reportedly ignored.

In response, the Agricultural Research Service Scientists Forum has called for an immediate ban on lateral entry recruitment, arguing that it undermines the principles of social justice and equal opportunity within the organization.