NEW DELHI — CPI(M) Lok Sabha MP K Radhakrishnan has written to Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, seeking urgent intervention over the reduction in reserved seats for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates in Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) PhD admissions for the 2026–27 academic year.
In a letter dated October 29, 2026, Radhakrishnan, who represents Alathur in Kerala and leads the CPI(M) in the Lok Sabha, raised serious concerns over the university’s PhD admission prospectus, pointing out that the seat allocations fall short of the prescribed reservation requirements.
“It has come to light that the university administration has drastically slashed the mandated reservation quota for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD),” the MP wrote in his letter.
According to the figures cited by Radhakrishnan, JNU has allocated only 38 seats to Scheduled Tribe candidates against the 53 required under the 7.5 per cent reservation quota, calculated against a total of 711 seats.
Similarly, SC candidates have been allotted 103 seats against the 107 required under the 15 per cent reservation quota.
The shortfall is even more pronounced in the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities category. Against the 36 seats required under the 5 per cent reservation provision, the university has allocated just 17.
Taken together, the three categories face a shortfall of 38 seats — 15 for ST candidates, four for SC candidates and 19 for PwBD candidates.
Expressing strong concern over the disparity, Radhakrishnan described the reduction as a serious setback to the principles of equal opportunity and representation in higher education.
“This denial of constitutional representation in one of India’s premier higher education institutions is a clear violation of social justice and equity,” he wrote.
He further stated that such practices systematically deprive students from marginalised backgrounds of opportunities to pursue higher education and advanced research.
MP demands withdrawal of JNU prospectus
Seeking immediate corrective action, Radhakrishnan urged the Union Education Minister to intervene and direct the university administration to revise its admission policy and restore the required reserved seats.
In his letter, he specifically requested the minister to direct JNU to “withdraw this flawed prospectus, rectify the seat matrix, and fully restore the constitutional quota reserved for SC, ST, and PwBD candidates without delay.”
The MP is a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs and the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Courtesy : Clarion India
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