Contractual government jobs: Quota demand raised for SC, STs and OBCs

Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment has sought a strict adherence to reservation for SC, STs and OBCs (Other Backward Classes) in hiring of contractual employees and consultants, as also for outsourced work in various ministries and government departments. Expressing concern over a low representation of people from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs is these jobs, Union Minister Thawarchand Gehlot has asked Minister in Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) Jitrendra Singh to issues directions to all ministries and departments to ensure quota rule in such appointments.

In a letter to Singh, the Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Gehlot said that it has been brought to his notice that the reservation policy is not being implemented for appointments of consultants and contract employees, as also for time-bound assignments and outsourced work.

The development comes at a time when the government has been under attack from the opposition parties over over alleged dilution of constitutional rights of Dalits in the backdrop of a Supreme Court ruling on the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Gehlot said that salaries to the contractual and part-time employees are paid by the government and therefore it would be appropriate that the constitutional provisions of the reservation policy are ensured for these appointments as well.

The letter also follows allegations by some SC/ST and OBC groups that the reservation policy was not being implemented in the recruitment done on contractual basis, in ministries and various government departments. 

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In government jobs, the total reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs comes to 49.5 per cent in case of direct recruitment on all India basis by open competition and 50 per cent in cases other than open competition.