New Delhi, July 8: Having been able to provide reservations in admissions in central educational institutions, the Centre’ attempt is now to push for quota in teaching posts up to the professor level. But a petition taken up for hearing by the Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging the Government’s decision will force the Government to provide a lot of explanations before it gets the judicial go-ahead.

Citizens for Equality, an NGO moving the apex court has challenged the University Grants Commission (UGC) directive of January 2007, which provided 27 per cent reservation to OBCs in lecturer posts in all central-aided institutions of excellence. It has also brought under scrutiny UGC’s Guideline of 2006, enabling 22.5 per cent reservation to SC/ STs at the level of associate professor and professor, in all government universities, colleges and deemed-to-be universities.

Following the strong arguments presented by senior advocate K K Venugopal, the bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan asked the HRD Ministry and UGC to explain the issues raised before it.

Earlier, a senior counsel pointed that having reservation in faculty posts would not only harm the general candidates eligible for the posts, but would damage the reputation of centres of excellence, like the IITs.

The court also ordered Jawaharlal Nehru University to file its response to the petition as the NGO has also challenged its decision dated April 11, 2007 to implement reservation for backward classes to teaching posts.

Venugopal argued that these measures were substantiated solely on the principle of amelioration of the backward classes ignoring entirely the onerous responsibility placed on the State to develop centres of research excellence and merit.