A parliamentary committee has issued a stern indictment against a persistent and discriminatory practice in India's central universities: the use of the vague "Not Found Suitable" (NFS) tag to reject faculty candidates from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities. Shockingly, the panel found this practice is not just used against fresh applicants but also against experienced teachers who have served universities for years on an ad-hoc basis.
The 'NFS' Tag: A Persistent Scourge in Faculty Recruitment
The Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of SCs and STs, headed by BJP MP Faggan Singh Kulaste, has flagged the NFS issue for the second consecutive report, calling it a persistent form of discrimination. The committee's latest scrutiny focused on Allahabad University (AU), where it uncovered a troubling pattern.
The panel discovered that 14 SC/ST candidates were declared 'Not Found Suitable' in the last three years at AU alone. More startling was the revelation that this clichéd rejection was being used even against assistant professors from these communities who had worked for several years on an ad-hoc basis. When regular vacancies were filled, these experienced candidates were deemed "unfit for induction" with the standard NFS justification.
Committee's Strong Recommendations and Political Echo
In response to these findings, the parliamentary committee has made a series of strong recommendations. It has urged that all vacant reserved faculty positions across central universities should be filled within three months. Furthermore, it stated that after this initial clearance, no SC/ST faculty seat should remain vacant for more than six months under any circumstance.
The issue has gained significant political traction. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has spoken about it on multiple occasions. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has also formed a committee to examine the matter. This UGC panel is expected to recommend that universities must provide detailed reasons for any 'NFS' verdict, allowing for scrutiny and corrective action.
Root Cause: 'Wrong Assessment Attitude' and a Call for Change
The committee did not mince words in diagnosing the problem. It asserted that the NFS tag does not reflect the true assessment of SC/ST candidates, who are "equally bright and deserving." It attributed the practice to a "wrong assessment attitude" prevalent among some selection committees.
The panel has called on university administrations to adopt a more positive approach towards talented and qualified candidates from marginalised communities. In a significant update, Chairman Faggan Singh Kulaste informed that the Ministry of Education has assured the committee that 'NFS' has been removed as a permissible reason for rejecting candidates in faculty recruitments.
This report underscores a systemic hurdle in achieving equitable representation in India's premier educational institutions, highlighting the gap between policy and its implementation on the ground.
