JOIN USThe Union Government has made changes in a 19-year-old rule to include members of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in Selection Committees for recruitment of Group C and D employees.
Earlier, it was only mandatory to have one member from either SC/ST or OBC but the new changes in rules were announced last Thursday.
According to the fresh rules, wherever a Selection Committee or Board exists or has to be constituted for making recruitment to more vacancies in any level of posts or services, it shall be “mandatory to have one member belonging to SC/ST and one member belonging to OBC category” in such Committees or Boards.
A member belonging to minority community should also be there in such panels.
The partial changes were made in the rules following a review which found that it was not right to club SC/ST with OBCs and it could lead to resentment among communities.
One of the members on such panels should be a woman, failing which a woman member should be co-opted.
The order said it may also be ensured that where the number of vacancies against which selection is to be made is less than ten, no effort should be spared in finding the SC/ST, OBC, minority and woman officers, for inclusion in such panels.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which announced the changes said, similar instructions in public sector undertakings and financial institutions, including public sector banks, would be issued by the Department of Public Enterprises and Finance Ministry respectively.