Cabinet to take up ordinance on 200-point roster system in universities

New Delhi, March 5 (IANS) The Union government is all set to bring an ordinance to restore the 200-point roster system of reservation mechanism for faculties in universities.

Informed sources said that the Union Cabinet meeting -- probably the last of the Narendra Modi government -- may take up the issue on March 7. The Election Commission is likely to announce the poll dates on March 9.

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar also hinted that the government could give its nod to the ordinance in the wake of countrywide agitation over the issue.

"Some groups have decided to agitate. I would like to assure them that they need not agitate...the government will do justice. We will bring the 200-point reservation roster... How we will do it will be clear within two days," Javadekar told reporters.

Under the new 13-point roster system, which replaced the 200-point roster, each department is taken as a unit for implementing recruitment and reservation policy for teachers. Under the earlier system, the entire university was taken as a unit for reservation and recruitment.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi had in February wrote to Javadekar urging him to restore the "200-point roster system".

Political parties in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar took to streets to protest the University Grants Commission (UGC)'s present 13-point roster system, saying it is slashing jobs for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes.

In the last Budget Session, Javadekar had assured the Lok Sabha that the Centre is committed to reservation and will bring an ordinance, if needed.