Goa Youth Congress President, Joel Andrade condemned the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) draft guidelines for dereserving vacancies for SC, ST and OBCs in higher education institutes and instead fill them under the general category.
The issue was highlighted at a press conference at the Congress Party office in Panaji on Wednesday addressed by Goa Youth Congress President Joel Andrade, flanked by General Secretary Ahraz Mulla, NSUI President Naushad Chaudari and Youth Congress leader Nitin Patkaro.
Andrade informed that the move by the UGC is an attempt to dilute or undermine the reservations that are essential for building an inclusive and equitable society.
He also emphasised that the Congress party will continue to stand with the marginalized communities and fight against any such attempts.
“I condemn the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) draft guidelines for dereserving vacancies for SC, ST and OBCs in higher education institutes and instead fill them under the general category. We want to highlight the UGC’s thought behind dereserving the SC, ST, and OBC quota in the draft, and the BJP’s underlying thinking,” he said.
“The very essence of our constitutional framework is to uplift and empower marginalized communities. Reservations were established to address historical injustices and ensure representation for SC, ST, and OBC communities and other sections. Any attempt to dilute these principles is a direct attack on the ethos of our democracy,” he added.
Mulla emphasised that the Preamble of the Constitution gives equal status and opportunity for all castes and the maginalised society.
“Reservation is important in terms of equality and to uplight these sections, and the Congress stands by this. The Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra by the Congress party was an attempt to reach out ot all sections of the marginalised society, including the Bahujan Samaj, and to know their grievances. The UGC, however, were planning to dereserve the seats. After an uproar, they have taken down the post from their official website. This shows that this is their ideology to remove the reservation for the Bahujan Samaj. Probably, they are lying low due to the forthcoming elections. This is a planned propaganda against the Bahujan Samaj by the BJP government,” he stated.
Naushad highlighted that BJP is always against SC, ST, adivasi, minorities, etc, stating that they don’t belive in equality in society.
“This move by the UGC and BJP is an attack on the students belonging to these comminities by taking away their constitutional right in direct recruitment. They say that students from the general category will be selected if there no eligble students. How is it possible to not get students from these communities who clear NET exams? Even scholarships for these marginalised sections have been discontinued. It seems BJP and RSS do not want people from OBC, SC, ST and other backward classes to rise up in society. We need to vote out the BJP in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections,” he mentioned.
Patkaro argued that BJP wants to finish the Bahujan Samaj. “This is their ideology. This shows their intention. They also plan to implement dereservation in recruiments. The Bahujan Samaj needs to come out and protest against the corrupt BJP and send them home,” he added.
