Quota for the faculty

I was out of touch with the happenings in the University for goodish part of last year. But I am back in action now.

The first thing that was brought to my notice was the implementation of reservation at all levels of faculty appointment.

This is mandated by UGC and if I am not mistaken the MHRD has issued a notification. All Universities have to abide by the notification.

So it happened that we also have to abide by it. Only the professors are opposed to it. Their argument: It will dilute the standard of the University.

What standard I would like to ask? Where is the standard? Most of our teachers do not bother to teach or if they do teach, they get away by teaching sub-standard stuff. There are some who are extremely innovative. They offer three different courses but teach the same thing in all the courses. Is this the standard we want to maintain?

Okay, I will abide by your argument that standard will be diluted. But then why doesn´t the same argument hold up when we talk of reservations for students? Shouldn´t admission be made on the basis of aptitude? Where was the standard when it was mandated that reservations should be implemented for PhD admissions? Where was the uproar when reservations were being implemented in medical and engineering schools? Shouldn´t aptitude and merit be the sole criteria?

Or is this noise is being made because it affects the teaching faculty themselves? Our children can be safely sent abroad to study so the reservations at that level is not a big issue. But where are livelihood is concerned, we will oppose the implementation of quota.

The truth of the matter is that there is severe discrimination against the lower castes. The need of the hour is to teach equality to our children and try to rectify the issue from the beginning but who has the time?