Rahul Gandhi Criticizes Government Over Vacant University Positions for OBCs
Rahul Gandhi has raised serious concerns regarding the high vacancy rates for professor positions in central universities, particularly for OBCs, which he claims are intentionally left unfilled. He argues that this reflects a broader issue of exclusion faced by marginalized communities in education and policy-making. Gandhi's statements come amid ongoing discussions in the Rajya Sabha about the voter list revision in Bihar, highlighting the need for accountability and representation in educational institutions. His call for action emphasizes the importance of addressing these disparities to ensure equitable access to education for all.
| Jul 25, 2025, 12:44 IST
Concerns Raised Over Vacant Positions in Central Universities
On Friday morning, Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress party and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, targeted the Narendra Modi government regarding the alarming number of vacant professor positions in central universities, particularly for the OBC category, which stands at nearly 80 percent. Gandhi emphasized on social media that marginalized communities deserve their rights and should not face exclusion. He pointed out that 83 percent of professor roles for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and 80 percent for Other Backward Classes (OBC) are intentionally left unfilled. He also mentioned that 64 percent of positions for Scheduled Castes (SC) are similarly vacant.
Furthermore, he highlighted that associate professor roles are also significantly unoccupied, with 65 percent for ST, 69 percent for OBC, and 51 percent for SC. Gandhi argued that the statistics presented by Sukanta Majumdar, the Minister of State for Education, in the Rajya Sabha serve as concrete evidence of the systemic exclusion and institutional bias against marginalized groups. He accused the government of conspiring to keep these communities away from education and sidelining their issues from public discourse.
The Leader of Opposition stated that this situation is not merely negligence but a deliberate scheme to exclude marginalized groups from education, research, and policy-making. He asserted that the lack of representation of these communities in universities leads to their issues being systematically ignored in research and discussions. Gandhi further claimed, "Under the guise of NFS (Not Found Suitable), thousands of qualified SC, ST, and OBC candidates are being deemed ineligible due to a casteist mindset, and the government is unwilling to take responsibility for this."
Meanwhile, on the same day, several opposition leaders in the Rajya Sabha submitted notices under Rule 267, demanding the suspension of house proceedings to discuss the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar. Congress MPs Renuka Chowdhury and Akhilesh Prasad Singh raised concerns and called for a discussion on the SIR process. Another Congress MP, Ashok Singh, submitted a separate notice seeking clarity and discussion regarding the Bihar SIR process.