The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has issued a notice to the Registrar, Madurai Kamaraj University, to submit facts and provide information whether reservation rules of the Central and State Governments in filling posts at its Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMMRC) have been followed.
A notice (dated July 3) has been issued by C. Chandraprabha, Research Officer, NCSC, Chennai, to the Registrar, Madurai Kamaraj University, to submit the facts and information on the action taken on the allegations/matters to the NCSC within 30 days.
It further states that the Commission has decided to inquire into the matter in pursuance of the powers conferred upon it under Article 338 of the Constitution.
The petition originally filed by ‘People’s Rights Movement of Tamil Nadu’ alleges that there are violations in appointment of various posts, including Director.
The Under Secretary of University Grants Commission had issued a circular as early as October 1996 that “in the case of non-teaching staff, the reservation policy of State Government be followed and for the rest of the positions, Central Government’s rule may be followed.”
The petition says that the second Board of Meeting of EMRC (later renamed as EMMRC) held on October, 29, 1996, had resolved to follow the Communal Roster for recruitment of posts as per UGC/ Ministry of HRD’s letter dated October, 11, 1996. According to UGC, the post of Director, EMRC, was reserved for Scheduled Caste and under State Government rules, posts of producer, technician, peon and stenographer were reserved for Scheduled Castes. However, the petition alleges that till now the university has not followed the reservation policy of both State and Central governments in appointments for the posts in EMRC.
Only one post in the lower grade category has been filled with SC candidate since the establishment of EMMRC.
The EMMRC is an Inter University Centre of UGC on Electronic Media. All the posts of EMMRC are UGC posts sanctioned by the UGC and are governed by UGC rules, regulations, guidelines, policies directives applicable.
However, it has also been alleged that unlike other EMMRCs in the country, open advertisements have not been placed, violation of guidelines in the case of promotions are also alleged where it has been mentioned that nomenclature of posts shall not be changed.
In a letter dated July, 24, 2010, the then Registrar in-charge had issued a letter to Advocate T. Lajapathi Roy (counsel for a petition filed in the Madras High Court challenging the appointment of Director’s post), that the appointment of EMMRC Director is kept in abeyance awaiting further orders from Madras High Court. However, official correspondences and the MKU website claim that Dr. V. Shobana Bai is the Director of EMMRC. This, the NCSC petitioner, claims is in violation of the High Court order. Petitions have also been sent to the office of Ministry of Human Resources Development and Chairman, Secretary and Joint Secretary of UGC, New Delhi.
