Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi slams Modi Government of Undermining Reservation in Education Sector

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi slams the Modi government over vacant reserved posts in universities, alleging a deliberate move to declare SC/ST/OBC candidates ‘Not Found Suitable’ and deny them education and leadership opportunities.

In a sharp critique of the current government, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has alleged a systematic conspiracy to keep reserved teaching posts in universities vacant, thereby denying rightful opportunities to candidates from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). Sharing his concerns on social media platform X, Gandhi pointed to a growing trend of eligible candidates being labelled “Not Found Suitable” (NFS), a term he claims is being weaponized to suppress backward communities’ access to education and leadership.

Gandhi specifically highlighted the situation at Delhi University, where over 60% of the reserved Professor posts and more than 30% of the reserved Associate Professor posts remain unfilled. These vacancies, he alleged, are not due to a lack of qualified candidates but are a deliberate strategy to maintain social hierarchies. “This is no exception – the same conspiracy is going on everywhere, IITs, Central Universities. NFS is an attack on the Constitution,” he said.

Referring to the practice of declaring candidates “Not Found Suitable” despite their qualifications, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “‘Not Found Suitable’ is the new Manuvaad now,” suggesting that this tactic is a modern-day expression of caste-based exclusion. He backed his statement by quoting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar: “Education is the biggest weapon for equality.” Gandhi accused the Modi government of trying to blunt this weapon by blocking marginalized communities from entering academic and intellectual spaces.

His statement comes at a crucial time, just days after the Modi-led government announced plans for a nationwide caste census, a long-standing demand of the Congress party. While the move was initially welcomed by opposition parties, Gandhi’s fresh allegations raise questions about the government’s true intent when it comes to social justice and representation.

Rahul also shared a video of his interaction with students from Delhi University, where he discussed the issue in detail. In the video, he emphasized the need for collective action against what he calls an “anti-reservation” agenda driven by the BJP and RSS. “Now, we all together will answer every anti-reservation move of BJP/RSS with the power of the Constitution,” he declared.

Calling the NFS tag a betrayal of social justice, Gandhi stressed that this fight goes beyond education and employment. “This is not just a fight for education and jobs – it is a fight for rights, respect and participation,” he said, reinforcing the Congress party’s continued stance on affirmative action and inclusive development.