July 02 – Editorial Analysis – PM IAS

Reserved faculty posts are still vacant and out of reach

I. The Constitutional Mandate and the Reality Gap:

• Social Justice Imperative: The editorial would begin by reiterating that reservations in public institutions, including higher education, are not mere administrative quotas but a constitutional commitment to correct historical injustices and ensure equitable representation for marginalized communities (SC, ST, OBC, EWS).
• Persistent Vacancies: It would highlight the alarming statistics: a significant percentage (e.g., around 30% or more, as per recent UGC reports) of reserved teaching posts remain unfilled across central universities and premier institutions like IITs, IIMs, and AIIMS. This problem is particularly acute at senior academic levels (Associate Professor, Professor).
• Undermining Inclusivity: The failure to fill these posts directly contradicts the vision of an inclusive education system and a diverse academic landscape that reflects India’s social fabric.

II. Systemic Barriers and Challenges:

The editorial would then dissect the various reasons behind these persistent vacancies:

• The 13-Point Roster System: This would be a central point of criticism. The shift from a 200-point (institution-level) to a 13-point (department-level) roster drastically reduces the number of reserved posts, especially in smaller departments. Often, departments with fewer than 14 posts may have no seats for STs, effectively excluding them. The editorial would argue this system inherently works against the spirit of reservation.
• Institutional Autonomy and Weak Accountability: Many central universities and elite institutions enjoy significant autonomy, which, critics argue, sometimes allows them to bypass strict government oversight and implement reservation policies inconsistently or with a lack of urgency. Selection committees, often dominated by unreserved groups, may lack the commitment to diversity.
• Discriminatory Recruitment Practices/Subjective Bias: The editorial would highlight the common practice of rejecting qualified SC/ST/OBC candidates with vague justifications like “not found suitable” despite meeting all advertised qualifications. This subjective evaluation process often masks inherent biases within selection committees. Studies (e.g., by Ambedkar University Faculty Association) have shown that a high percentage of reserved post vacancies result from such discretionary rejections.
• Lack of Suitable Candidates (Debunked/Addressed): While institutions often cite a “dearth of qualified candidates,” the editorial would likely challenge this narrative, pointing to data suggesting that many eligible candidates apply but are not selected. It might emphasize that the issue is not a lack of qualified individuals but rather flaws in the selection process, lack of outreach, or implicit biases.
• Political Influence and Lack of Transparency: Allegations of political affiliations influencing appointments and a general lack of transparency in the recruitment process can also contribute to the non-filling of reserved posts.
• Over-reliance on Contractual Appointments: The editorial might mention the trend of filling these vacancies with contractual or ad-hoc faculty, which undermines the permanence and security that reserved positions are meant to provide.

III. The Profound Impact of Vacant Reserved Posts:

• Weakening Social Justice: The most significant impact is the erosion of the constitutional promise of social justice and equitable representation in a crucial public sphere.
• Diluting Academic Diversity: A lack of diverse faculty members means a narrower range of perspectives, experiences, and knowledge systems in teaching and research. This can hinder a truly multidisciplinary and inclusive academic discourse.
• Poor Mentorship and Role Models: Students from marginalized communities often lack faculty members from similar backgrounds who can serve as mentors, understand their unique challenges, and contribute to a more inclusive campus environment.
• Compromising Quality of Education: Overall high vacancy rates, including reserved posts, lead to an increased student-faculty ratio, overworked existing faculty, and potentially compromised teaching quality and research output.
• Undermining NEP Goals: The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes inclusive, equitable, and quality education. The failure to fill reserved posts directly undermines these objectives.

IV. Way Forward and Recommendations:

An editorial would typically offer constructive recommendations to address the crisis:

• Strict Enforcement and Accountability: Mandate regular audits and public reporting by institutions on filled vs. vacant reserved posts. Impose penalties for non-compliance.
• Review and Reform the 13-Point Roster: Revert to the institution-level roster or devise a more equitable system that ensures reservations are genuinely fulfilled across all departments, regardless of size.
• Diversify Selection Committees: Ensure that selection committees include members from SC, ST, OBC, and women, and provide training on social justice principles and unbiased evaluation.
• Transparent and Objective Selection Criteria: Standardize evaluation metrics to reduce subjectivity and bias in the hiring process.
• Active Outreach and Special Recruitment Drives: Launch sustained, well-publicized special recruitment drives specifically targeting reserved categories, including robust advertising and mentorship programs.
• Data-Driven Policy: Utilize comprehensive data to identify specific shortfalls and tailor interventions.
• Political Will: Emphasize that the government’s stated commitment to social justice must translate into concrete action and sustained political will to overcome institutional resistance.

The editorial would likely conclude with a strong statement on the moral and constitutional imperative of filling reserved faculty positions. It would argue that the continued vacancy of these posts is not merely an administrative oversight but a failure to uphold the foundational principles of equity and justice that define India’s democratic ethos. Achieving genuine diversity in academia is crucial not only for the benefit of individual communities but also for enriching the intellectual landscape, fostering a truly representative knowledge ecosystem, and strengthening the social fabric of the nation. It’s time for universities and the government to move beyond rhetoric and demonstrate unwavering commitment to making reserved faculty posts a reality, not just a distant promise.

Demand Distress

. Defining “Demand Distress”:

• Weak Consumer Spending: The editorial would define demand distress as a situation where households and individuals reduce their consumption of goods and services, often due to factors like stagnant incomes, job insecurity, high inflation, or lack of confidence in the future.
• Low Private Investment: It would connect this to low private sector investment, as businesses are less likely to invest in expansion or new capacities when consumer demand is weak.
• Underutilized Capacity: This leads to factories operating below their full potential, impacting industrial production (e.g., Index of Industrial Production – IIP growth hitting lows, as seen in recent reports).

II. The “Dark Signs” and Causes of Demand Distress in India:

The editorial would pinpoint several key factors contributing to the current or recent spell of demand distress:

• Stagnant Real Wages and Income Inequality: This would be a central argument. While overall GDP growth might look robust, the benefits are often concentrated, leading to a “K-shaped recovery” where the rich get richer, but the incomes of the majority, particularly in rural areas and the informal sector, stagnate or even decline in real terms.
  • Evidence: Mention of stagnant rural wages, decline in real earnings for rural and urban workers, and increased reliance on MGNREGA work as a distress indicator.
• Job Market Weakness: A lack of productive, well-paying jobs, especially for the youth and those in the informal sector, directly impacts purchasing power. The editorial might mention how the informal sector suffered disproportionately from past shocks (Demonetisation, GST implementation, COVID-19 lockdowns).
• Inflationary Pressures: High inflation, particularly food inflation, erodes the purchasing power of households, forcing them to spend more on essentials and cut back on discretionary spending.
• Impact of Past Economic Shocks: Demonetisation (2016), the implementation of GST (2017), and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-21) are often cited as major macroeconomic shocks that disrupted supply chains, destroyed markets, and impacted employment and wages, especially in the informal sector, contributing to a prolonged demand slump.
• Agrarian Distress: Farmers facing issues like unremunerative prices for their produce, inadequate MSP systems, rural indebtedness, and inefficient value chains contribute to depressed rural incomes, which in turn affects rural demand for consumer goods.
• Cautious Lending/Credit Availability: While the government may focus on credit easing, if demand is weak, businesses may not take new loans for expansion, and individuals may also be hesitant to take on debt for consumption.
• Global Headwinds: Uncertainty in global trade, protectionism, and geopolitical tensions can impact exports, which then has a ripple effect on domestic production and employment, further contributing to a subdued domestic demand outlook.

III. Impact of Demand Distress:

• Slower Economic Growth: Private consumption is the largest component of India’s GDP. When it falters, overall economic growth rates decline.
• Industrial Slowdown: Weak demand leads to reduced industrial output, lower capacity utilization in manufacturing, and a slump in growth across consumer-facing sectors (e.g., textiles, electronics, furniture).
• Increased Unemployment: Businesses facing low demand cut back on production and new hiring, exacerbating the unemployment problem.
• Reduced Investment: A lack of consumer confidence and demand disincentivizes new private sector investment.
• Fiscal Challenges: A slowing economy impacts tax revenues, potentially leading to higher fiscal deficits for the government.
• Social Unrest: Prolonged economic distress, especially impacting livelihoods, can lead to social discontent and increased inequalities.

IV. Policy Responses and Way Forward:

The editorial would discuss what policies are needed to revive demand:

• Fiscal Stimulus: The government needs to consider increasing public spending, especially on infrastructure projects (which have a multiplier effect) and direct cash transfers or social welfare schemes to put money directly into the hands of the poor and vulnerable, boosting their purchasing power.
• Targeted Support for Vulnerable Sections: Specific measures to support farmers, rural workers (e.g., strengthening MGNREGA with higher wages), and MSMEs are crucial as these segments often drive grassroots demand.
• Monetary Policy Alignment: While the RBI manages inflation, the editorial might suggest that monetary policy needs to remain accommodative to support growth, ensuring easy credit availability at reasonable rates once inflationary pressures are truly under control.
• Boosting Rural Incomes: Long-term solutions for agrarian distress (e.g., improving MSP, strengthening agricultural value chains, increasing investment in rural infrastructure) are vital.
• Job Creation: Focus on policies that genuinely create productive employment in both formal and informal sectors, and enhance skill development.
• Addressing Structural Issues: Reforms that reduce income inequality and ensure that economic growth is more broad-based and inclusive.
• Addressing Global Trade Challenges: While domestic demand is key, measures to boost exports through FTAs and addressing non-tariff barriers can help.

Conclusion:

The editorial would likely conclude with a strong call for immediate and sustained policy intervention:

“The persistent signs of demand distress, particularly evidenced by stagnant consumption and underutilized industrial capacity, serve as a critical warning for the Indian economy. While headline GDP figures may offer comfort, the reality of a K-shaped recovery and the struggles of the majority demand urgent attention. This is not merely a cyclical downturn but signals deeper structural issues related to income inequality and employment. The government must move beyond a sole focus on supply-side measures and aggressively implement targeted fiscal interventions to put purchasing power back into the hands of the masses. A vibrant and inclusive domestic demand is the most sustainable engine for India’s growth story. Without a robust and equitable revival of demand, India risks not only hindering its ambitious economic aspirations but also exacerbating social disparities, undermining the very foundation of its broad-based progress.“