‘Only 20% faculty at IIMs, IITs belong to OBC’: DMK MP blames govt for frozen income ceiling

DMK MP P Wilson has criticised the government for failing to revise the income ceiling for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) creamy layer, and alleged that the outdated rules and regulations have led to large-scale exclusion and discrimination against OBC candidates in government jobs and faculty positions in central universities.

Despite high inflation and rising living cost, Wilson, speaking during the zero hour session in Rajya Sabha, pointed out that the OBC creamy layer income ceiling has remained unchanged at Rs 8 lakh per annum since 2017.

He also stated that the National Commission for Backward Classes has recommended increasing the ceiling, but the government failed to act upon it. He suggested that it should be revised every three years.

11.2% faculty at IITs, 9.6% at IIMs belong to OBC

Blaming the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Public Sector Understanding (PSUs), Uttar Pradesh Service Commission (UPSC) and educational institutions, Wilson alleged that they practice discrimination by calculating a candidate’s “family income” by including salary, despite a 1993 Office Memorandum stating that the salary and agricultural income should be excluded from determining the status of creamy layer categories.

“The OBC Parliamentary Committee, in its 2019 report on the rationalisation of the creamy layer, condemned this practice and urged the government to stop it immediately. However, no action has been taken,” he added.

Highlighting the impact of the stalled ceiling on higher educational institutions, Wilson told Rajya Sabha that around 80 per cent of OBC professor positions remain vacant in central universities. Out of 2,537 sanctioned professor posts, just 423 (16.67 per cent) belong to OBC, below the constitutionally mandated 27% reservation, he said.

Citing the Right to Information (RTI) data received from 21 Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), and 13 Indian Institute of Management (IIMs), DMK MP said that the OBC category individuals only cover 11.2% of faculty at the engineering institutes, while 6 % from SC, and 1.6% from ST categories.

Wilson urges PM Modi to push for revision in OBC income ceiling

Similarly, 9.6 per cent faculty at IIMs belong to OBC, 5% SC, and 1% ST, he added. “In at least two IITs and three IIMs, the General Category holds over 90% of faculty positions. In eight IITs and seven IIMs, over 80% of faculty are from the General Category. What is this, an IIM or an exclusive club?” Wilson asked during RS zero hour.

Turning to government services, he said that only 18.07 % represents OBC in the current Group A officers batch. Among the 90 top bureaucrats in the Union Government, only three are from the OBC community and hold less important departments, he added.

“Out of 322 officers under the Central Staffing Scheme in different ministries, 16 belong to SC, 13 to ST, 39 to OBC, and 254 to upper castes,” he stated.

Therefore, Wilson has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revise the income ceiling, and end the discriminatory practices in creamy layer determination. “Fill the backlog of reserved posts without delay, and increase reservations for OBC, SC, and ST communities through constitutional amendments, in proportion to their population,” he concluded.