Teaching and non-teaching staff at Bangalore University are demanding that the state government appoint a Dalit academic as the next vice chancellor (VC). They pointed out that the University has not had a Dalit academic in the top position in its 62-year history. The term of the current VC ends on July 10.
The Teachers Association of Bangalore University and the Non-Teaching Employees’ Association of Bangalore University have written to the Governor of Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the Minister of Higher Educatio,n and the Karnataka State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, requesting the appointment of a professor belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes for the post of the next VC.
In the letter, the Non-Teaching Staff SC/ST Association of Bangalore University expressed their dissatisfaction with the failure to appoint a VC from the SC/ST communities in the 62-year-old history of the University.
The Association referred to Section 14(4) of the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000 which stated that the Chancellor is mandated to appoint VCs keeping their merits, equity, and social justice in view.
Of the 19 VCs appointed so far, seven were Brahmin, five belonged to the Vokkaliga Community, three to the Lingayat community, three to backward classes, and one was a member of a minority community.
The statement said that the University has 380 non-teaching employees, of which 200 are members of the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes. Among the 115 permanent teaching faculty, 75 professors belong to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes. Approximately 45% of the students of the University too belong to SC/ST communities.
This article was written by a student interning with TNM.
