Introduce reservations in part-time, contractual jobs: Social justice ministry

The Union ministry of social justice and empowerment has written to the department of personnel and training (DOPT) to ensure that the reservation policy for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Class (OBCs) are followed for appointments made on contractual basis or a limited time basis in government ministries and departments.

A letter submitted by MSJE minister Thawar Chand Gehlot to his colleague Jitendra Singh, who holds the charge of DoPT, states that all appointments of consultants and contract employees, for time-bound assignments and for outsourced work, should also have provisions for quota-based appointments as per constitutional provisions.

Gehlot said the reservation policy should be applied to all state and central government jobs that are non-permanent in nature.

The move is a part of the government’s initiatives to reach out to the marginalised communities at a time when the Opposition has accused it of not doing enough to secure the rights of Dalits and tribals.

According to an official aware of the developments, the letter comes in the wake of demands from SC/ST and OBC groups underlining that since most of the recruitment in government departments and ministries are done on contractual basis, the rules of quota should apply there.

“Salaries to employees who are employed on contract, or for time-bound period, or even work that is outsourced is paid for by the government, so it is appropriate that constitutional provisions of reservation are ensured for these appointments also. It has come to the government’s notice that the percentage of SC/ST and OBCs in such jobs is minimal,” the official quoted above said.

Former University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman and academic Professor Sukhdeo Thorat said the government must hire on a regular basis but if that is not possible, it must enforce reservation in jobs even if the appointments are made on a contractual basis.

“According to my estimate, one-third of the government jobs are contractual and if we calculate the percentage of jobs that are lost because reservation is not applied, it comes to roughly 30%,” he said.

Thorat said that by not enforcing reservation in contractual jobs that are with the government or government-aided institutions, the base of reservation is shrinking. “Even in the private sector, the government must ensure affirmative action,” he said.