The move by the School Education Department (PU) to proceed with general promotions to the posts of principal, and failing to fill 80 vacant backlog posts through promotion on priority, has been opposed.
| Photo Credit: File photo
Scheduled Caste/Tribe (SC/ST) lecturers and the Karnataka State Government SC/ST Employees’ Association have opposed the move by the School Education Department (PU) to proceed with general promotions to the posts of principal, bypassing the Social Welfare Department’s report and failing to fill the 80 vacant backlog posts through promotion on priority.
The Principal Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) submitted a file to the Minister for School Education seeking permission to convene a departmental promotion committee (DPC) meeting to facilitate promotions for Government PU college lecturers for the 2026-27 academic year.
However, the Karnataka State Government SC/ST Employees Association has written to Minister Madhu Bangarappa urging him to immediately reject the proposal seeking permission for the DPC meeting. The association has warned an agitation if the general promotion process is carried out without first filling the backlog posts.
Speaking to The Hindu, Bharath S., director of School Education (PU), said: “Our directorate has submitted information to the government regarding the promotions. The next step will be taken at the government level.”
Complaints had been filed with the Social Welfare Department regarding the failure to follow roster during promotion of lecturers to the post of principal within the School Education Department (PU) for the 2025-26 academic year.
The Social Welfare Department then wrote to the government recommending to fill the vacant backlog principal posts across both the Kalyana Karnataka and Residual Parent Cadre in accordance with the rules and to submit a compliance report.
The Principal Secretary of DSEL held a meeting and noted that in the DPC meetings conducted by the department since 2016, the reservation roster had not been followed, because the representation of SC/ST had already reached 15% and 3%, respectively, in compliance with the 1999 order issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms.
The issue had been then discussed by both the Karnataka Legislative Council Committee on Petitions and the Committee on the Welfare of SCs/STs of Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
Against this backdrop, the Commissioner of the Social Welfare Department held a meeting with officials from the School Education Department (PU), obtained additional records concerning the promotion to principal posts, and conducted a verification.
The verification revealed that, since 2015-16, SC/ST lecturers had been deprived of 80 posts (SC-67 & ST-13) during promotions from the lecturer cadre to the principal cadre. A report was submitted to the Principal Secretary of the Social Welfare Department, requesting that instructions be issued to the Head of the School Education Department (PU) to take steps to fill 80 backlog posts.
Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had also written to then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, requesting action. Despite these letters and opposition from aspirants, the general promotion process was held last year.
“A complaint regarding this was lodged with the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement, which issued a notice to the department. An inquiry is currently under way,” said an aspirant of the post.
D. Chandrashekaraiah, president of the Karnataka State Government SC/ST Employees’ Association, said reservation in promotion is a Constitutional right, but was being denied. He threatened that they would boycott classes if the issue was not addressed.
Published – September 30, 2026 08:56 pm IST
