The student group highlighted seven key issues that need to be addressed to ensure “equitable inclusion and development of OBC faculty, students and scholars in higher education”.

New Delhi: The All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) has written a fresh letter to the University Grants Commission (UGC) urging it to take immediate action on concerns related to OBC faculty positions, fellowships and student facilities. The student group highlighted seven key issues that need to be addressed to ensure “equitable inclusion and development of OBC faculty, students and scholars in higher education”.

The seven important issues raised by the AIOBCSA are: allocation of OBC faculty posts, directive against vacant reserved posts, increase in National Fellowship for OBC (NFOBC) slots, establishment of Phule Kendras, hostel facilities for OBC students in central universities, drive for special OBC faculty posts, and fee regulation committee. Installation. Sharing a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Student Association wrote, “We have written to them @ugc_india Secretary to address the following OBC issues 1. Allotment of OBC faculty posts…”

“The posts of OBC professors should be allocated to the full extent of the total faculty posts available in each university or college. Additionally, we request the UGC to undertake a nationwide data collection initiative to collect information on the social profile of faculty posts in various universities and colleges. This data will help in identifying the shortfall in OBC representation compared to the total allocation of faculty posts in each institution. Addressing these disparities is necessary to maintain social justice and ensure fair representation in education,” the All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) said in a letter.

Requesting the commission to increase the National Fellowship for OBC (NFOBC) slots, the student body said, “The current allocation of 1,000 slots under the National Fellowship for OBC (NFOBC) is inadequate for increased intake of OBC research scholars. We request the UGC to increase these slots to 5,000 to accommodate more deserving OBC scholars, thereby promoting higher education and research among this underrepresented group.”

We have written to them @ugc_india Secretary to address the following issues of OBCs

1. Allotment of OBC Faculty Posts:
OBC faculty posts should be allocated to the full extent of the total faculty posts available in each university or college. In addition, we request… pic.twitter.com/8FUgioFIV5

— All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) (@aiobcsa) 9 August 2024

The students' union has requested the commission to launch a special recruitment drive for OBC faculty posts in all universities and institutes within a specific time frame. “We strongly recommend conducting a special recruitment drive for OBC faculty posts in all universities and institutes at regular intervals. This concentrated effort is necessary to address the current shortfall in OBC representation and to ensure that these posts are filled by qualified candidates without delay,” the letter further read.

AIOBCSA said, “We request the UGC to set up a fee regulation committee at the national level to monitor and regulate the reform of fee structure in universities and colleges. While we respect the autonomy of institutions, when those autonomous decisions deprive students from socially, educationally and economically backward classes, they should be subject to a higher level of scrutiny. This committee will ensure that tariff reforms are equitable and do not disproportionately burden disadvantaged groups.”