Congress MP writes to Education Minister regarding SC, ST, OBC being denied seat at IIT Bombay

Congress MP demands a thorough inquiry into the PhD admission process at IIT Bombay to ascertain any violations of reservation norms

Congress MP, Manickam Tagore has sent a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressing his concern related to the violation of reservation norms in Ph.D. admissions at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay).

Manickam Tagore, Member of Parliament from Virudhunagar Constituency - Tamil Nadu has raised his concern regarding the admission process for PhD programs at IIT Bombay. In his letter, the MP has stated that it has come to his attention that there have been significant discrepancies in the recent admissions, particularly with respect to the implementation of reservation norms at the institute.

As per reports, out of the total 263 PhD students admitted this year at IIT Bombay, an overwhelming 66 percent are from the General category. whereas only 9 percent are from the Scheduled Caste (SC) category and a mere 3 percent are from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.

“These statistics raise serious concerns about the adherence to the reservation policies mandated by our Constitution,” mentions Manickam Tagore.

SC, ST, OBC denied seats at IIT Bombay?

Furthermore, the Congress MP has stated that it has been reported that as many as 80 seats reserved for SC, ST, and Other Backward Class (OBC) students have been denied, while an additional 95 General category students were admitted. He says: “This demonstrates a clear imbalance in the admissions process, as the number of seats allocated to underprivileged sections of society has been reduced, while those for the General category have been increased.”

‘Violation of the spirit of Reservation’

He went on to state that the situation becomes even more disconcerting when it is revealed that several departments within IIT Bombay did not admit any ST students, and others did not admit any SC or OBC students during the current year's PhD admissions.

Such practices are not only a violation of the spirit of reservation but also perpetuate disparities in access to higher education. Our reservation norms are designed to promote social equity and provide equal opportunities to historically marginalized communities. It is disheartening to see these norms not being effectively implemented, and the number of minority students at IIT Bombay decreasing over the past eight years.

The Parliamentarian has demanded to conduct a thorough inquiry into the PhD admission process at IIT Bombay for the current year to ascertain any violations of reservation norms and ensure that the denied seats for SC, ST, and OBC students are immediately reinstated and filled as per the reservation guidelines.

He has also requested to implementation of stricter oversight mechanisms to prevent such disparities in the future and to ensure that all departments comply with the reservation norms and take necessary steps to reverse the declining trend in the enrollment of minority students in IIT Bombay over the past eight years.

“I strongly urge your good office to take appropriate action to ensure social justice as enshrined in our Constitution and ensure that the reservation policy is adhered to in letter and spirit. Your effective action in this respect is highly solicited,” he writes in his letter to Dharmendra Pradhan.

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