Ministry of Education (MoE) panel has recommended to exempt Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) from reservations in faculty appointments and rather than specific quotas, diversity issues should be addressed through outreach campaigns and targeted recruitment of faculty.

The eight-member committee comprising IIT directors was asked to suggest measures on effective implementation of reservation policies not only in recruitment, but also for admissions.

“Being established and recognised as institutions of national importance under an Act of Parliament, IITs have ought to be listed under (clause 4) of the CEI (Reservation in Teacher’s Cadre) Act 2019, for exemption from reservations. This must be immediately reconsidered for inclusion of IITs in the Schedule taking into account the nature of these institutions, duties and their activities,” the report sought through RTI by a Lucknow based activist said.

Also read: IIT Delhi tops among Indian institutes in employability

“In order to compete with other top institutions in the world in terms of excellence, output, research and teaching, a system emphasising targeted goals over a period of time, rather than specific quotas, to address diversity issues through outreach campaigns,” it added.

At present, eight institutions are listed under the clause ? the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, National Brain Research Centre in Gurgaon, North-Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Science in Shillong, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bengaluru, Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, Space Physics Laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing in Dehradun and Homi Bhabha National Institute and all its 10 constituent units in Mumbai.