A year long struggle for the implementation of OBC reservation in All India Quota of State Agriculture Universities

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Dr. Manu S. M. Former PhD Scholar and Students Representative to the Academic Council of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi addressing at the constitution club of India, New Delhi.

Recently ICAR has issued an official-memorandum for OBC Reservation in the All India Quota across State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), for which, we two students from IARI, [Dr. Manu S. M., Former PhD Scholar, Students' Representative to the Academic Council of IARI, New Delhi, and President of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Birsa Students Association (BABSA), along with Mr. Vishnu Prasad, a current PhD Scholar at IARI] led a year-long struggle for the implementation of OBC Reservation with the support from All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA).

Background: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is the apex body for coordinating, guiding, and managing research and education in agriculture in the entire country under the aegis of DARE, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The ICAR-AU System of India has 74 Agricultural Universities comprising 63 State Agricultural, Veterinary, Horticultural and Fisheries Universities (SAUs), 4 ICAR-DUs, viz. IARI, IVRI, NDRI and CIFE, 3 Central Agricultural Universities (CAU, Imphal, Dr. RPCAU, Pusa and RLBCAU, Jhansi), 4 Central Universities (CU) having Faculty of Agriculture (BHU, AMU, Viswa Bharati and Nagaland University). The National Agricultural Research, Education and Extension System (NAREES) of India is one of the largest in the world, admitting more than 28000 students at UG level and over 17,500 students at Master’s and Doctoral level annually, in different disciplines of Agricultural and Allied Sciences. ICAR has entrusted the responsibility of conducting All India Entrance Examinations for admission to Masters (PG) & Doctoral (Ph.D) programmes in Agricultural Universities and award of scholarships and fellowships, to the National Testing Agency. Now, Bachelors admission through UGCET of NTA with 20% AIQ.

ICAR AIEEA (PG) and ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (Ph.D) – are All India Entrance Examination for 30% seats in Master and PhD degree programmes in State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) [100% seats of CAUs and ICAR-DUs] will be granted under the ICAR-AU system. But there is no OBC reservation in all India quota seats of SAUs since start of ICAR AIEEA (20-25 years ago).

For example during 2022-23, against the total of 1420 PhD and 3098 masters seats, 1073 and 2520 candidates were recommended by ICAR for admission to accredited Doctoral and Master Degree Programmes in 63 and 66 accredited AUs, respectively under the ICAR-AU System. During 2020-21, against the total of 2865 Seats, 2072 candidates were recommended by ICAR for admission to accredited Bachelor degree programmes in 62 accredited AUs under the ICAR-AU system without any OBC reservation. As per 27% OBC (Non-creamy) reservation policy, If we calculate roughly against total number of seats, OBC community students losing about 380 PhD, 830 masters and 770 Bachelor seats due to lack of implimentation of reservation policy. Despite the prevailing OBC Reservation policy in Central and ICAR deemed-to-be universities, we recognized the injustice and loss of seats faced by OBC community students in State Agricultural Universities (SAUs). Consequently, we conducted a thorough analysis and empathetically understood the concerns of SAUs students for legal discourse as well. However, we are delighted that OBC Reservation, including EWS, will be implemented from the next academic year 2024-25, bringing justice after a prolonged struggle.

In mid 2022, we collaborated with All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA), receiving a positive response from National President Kiran Kumar (Research Scholar, Hyderabad University). A campus visit by him addressed this issue, and we presented statistics highlighting the seats lost by OBC community students in UG/PG/PhD programs due to the lack of reservation, despite constitutional provisions. We personally met the National president of BJP OBC Morcha and MP (RS), given the representation to him with the support of AIOBCSA National coordinator Ms. Ritu (A graduate from Delhi University). In November, AIOBCSA National president wrote to ICAR and National Commission for OBC for the implementation of reservation. In December 2022, I and Vishnu presented crucial documents and statistics at an OBC Intellectual Meet with Hon'ble MPs at the Constitutional Club of India, New Delhi.

AIOBCSA played a pivotal role in this triumph, standing out as the only student organization, besides Babasaheb Ambedkar and Birsa Students Association (BABSA), supported us to champion this cause. National President of AIOBCSA tirelessly engaged with various MPs and other officials seeking a swift resolution. On behalf of all agricultural students of India, we extend sincere gratitude to Government of India, Hon’ble MPs, ICAR and AIOBCSA and its office bearers, especially National President (Kiran Kumar) and National Coordinator (Ritu), for their invaluable involvement in this struggle, ensuring justice and the pursuit of higher education in Agricultural Sciences for marginalised community students in accordance with the constitution of India.

 
~Manu Sundavalu

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