AGARTALA, April 6 (TIWN): Tension prevails at Tripura University as numbers of faculty members, research scholars have begun hunger strike from today demanding withdrawal of UGC Reservation Circular. Addressing media, the Hunger strikers said, "UGC on 5th March had issued a fresh circulation according to which, the University will not be considered anymore as a single unit. According to UGC, from now the reservation will be department-wise. But if the departments are considered as a single unit instead of the University itself as a unit, then in coming 60 - 70 years also there will be no reservation for the SC, ST, OBCs in many departments". Thus demanding withdrawal of the circulation, the scholars, teachers have sat in hunger strike which will be continued till April 14 and if their demands are not fulfilled, then in coming days there will be strike for indefinite time. It's a nationwide protest and across country's various university including Delhi, JNU, Pondicherry the strike is going on.

 The agitators have, condemned the UGC circular dated March 5 notifying that fresh reservation rosters for SC/ST category have to be prepared keeping Department/Subject as a unit instead of the University/College. University Teachers' Association have demanded that the UGC Circular is withdrawn immediately and consultation with stake-holders held.

In case of reservation for SC/ST, according to the University Grants Commission (UGC) circular, all the universities, deemed to be universities, colleges and other grant-in-aid institutions and centres should prepare the roster system keeping the Department / Subject as a unit for all levels of teachers as applicable. 

The circular also said that the roster, department-wise, should be applied to the total number of posts in each of the categories - in Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor -- within the Department/Subject. 

"We view this development as a major setback in its struggle to ensure adequate representation in teaching positions for SC/ST/OBC categories as per the Constitutional requirement of 15%, 7.5% and 27% respectively," said a statement from the organisation.

"Strict implementation of the Constitutional mandate for institutions of higher learning is of far-reaching importance. It is, after all,  not only a matter of getting a fair share of employment in Universities and Colleges, but also the right to play a role in the intellectual leadership and moral guidance of future generations," they said.