On 29th January, AISA along with students in Delhi held a protest at the UGC Headquarters in New Delhi against the new Draft Guidelines on Reservation Policy. Chapter 10 of the said policy includes provisions for de-reservation of reserved seats in Central Universities. As if the old schema of NFS (Not Found Suitable) was not enought to keep applicants from marginalised communities out of education and jobs, UGC found it necessary to strengthen the assault on social justice. While the Chairman reportedly said that no de-reservation will take place, the Draft continues to be held up on the UGC website.
At the protest, Ranvijay from AISA JNU addressed the gathering. "The constant need felt by UGC Chairperson Mamidala Jagadish Kumar to ruin all-inclusiveness and justice from education institutions is alarming for the cause of a democratic India. This notice will not be tolerated by the students and no empty promise, but outright deletion of it from the guideline must be ensured", he said.
In the delegation to the UGC, the Secretary accepted the suggestions and criticisms to the draft. He said the UGC will consider bringing a notice regarding this in its official website. However, no concrete assurance was given.
The delegation reiterated that the process for de-reservation lacks clear guidelines, which could lead to misuse and perpetuate inequality. Moreover, de-reservation will perpetuate poverty and marginalization by hindering opportunities for socially and economically disadvantaged communities. It will also lead to a less diversity in academic institutions, which is linked to greater innovation in research and teaching, and impact an inclusive academic environment, affecting decision-making and perpetuating disparities.
The protesting students added that they will continue the struggle to ensure the deletion of de-reservation clause from the draft guideline.
