80% professor posts for OBCs, 83% for STs in central universities are vacant: Govt data
New Delhi: A significant number of professor positions reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in central universities remain unfilled, according to government data shared in Parliament.
In response to a question raised by RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha, Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar revealed that, as of June 30, 2025, around 80% of the OBC professor posts and nearly 83% of the ST professor posts in central universities are still vacant.
The figures, cited by The Indian Express on Thursday, show that, of the 423 sanctioned professor positions for OBCs, only 84 have been filled. For the ST category, only 24 out of 144 sanctioned posts have been filled, leaving 83% vacant. Similarly, 64% of the posts for Scheduled Castes (SC) remain unoccupied, with only 111 out of 308 positions filled.
For the general category, 39% of professor posts remain vacant, with 935 out of the 1,538 sanctioned positions filled.
Vacancy rates are also high for associate professor roles. In the ST category, around 65% of the posts (108 out of 307) remain vacant. The OBC category has 69% vacancies (275 out of 883), while 51% of associate professor positions for SCs are still open (308 out of 632 being filled). In the general category, 16% of the associate professor posts remain vacant, with 2,533 of the 3,013 positions filled, the report added.
Assistant professor vacancies are comparatively lower, with the fewest open positions in the SC, ST, and OBC categories. The vacancy rates are 23% for OBCs (1,838 out of 2,382), 15% for STs (595 out of 704), and 14% for SCs (1,180 out of 1,370).
In his reply, Majumdar also addressed concerns raised by MP Jha about candidates being declared "not found suitable" (NFS) in these categories. Majumdar pointed out that data on candidates declared “not found suitable” is not maintained centrally.
He explained that recruitment is carried out through open advertisements, with selection committees making recommendations based on the suitability of candidates. In cases where suitable candidates were unavailable, appointments were not made, regardless of category.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
