representation of sc st in ias

 The solution lies in having a fixed tenure, irrespective of age of entry

 framing 2024 Budget proposals AND no SC ST candidate ? 

1 During his parliamentary address on July 29, 2024, the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, regretted that there were no Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) officers among the 20 who assisted in framing 2024 Budget proposals. 

2 He said that there was only one officer from the minorities and another from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category involved in the exercise. 

3 His purpose in doing so was 

to highlight that those who originally belong to poor and deprived sections of society do not have a role in the framing of a crucial aspect of government’s economic policy. 

4 Finance Minister also respond

to Mr. Gandhi’s charge by pointing to the absence of persons from these traditionally deprived backgrounds in the the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. 

Upper caste domination continues

absence of SC/ST officers in the Budget-making exercise. 

The cause is the continuing domination of the so-called upper castes at senior levels of the civil service. 

This was evident from the answer by Minister of State Jitendra Singh to a parliamentary question on December 15, 2022.

Joint Secretaries and Secretaries under Central Staffing Scheme 

 

“Out of a total of 322 officers currently holding the posts of Joint Secretaries and Secretaries under Central Staffing Scheme in different Ministries/Departments, 16, 13, 39 and 254 belong to SC, ST, Other Backward Classes (OBC) and General category, respectively.”

Mr. Singh further clarified that the number of Secretary and Joint Secretary-level officers stood at 4% and 4.9%, respectively. 

there is no reservation for promotions in Class A services.

In order to increase the representation of SC and ST officers at the senior-most positions in government, a complete departure from the traditional concept of the age of retirement would be necessary. 

This writer had advocated a new approach to retirement in an article in these columns in September 2012. If the Leader of the Opposition is truly interested in ensuring social justice in the civil services, he should, at least, ponder over the ideas presented in the subsequent paragraphs.

Eligibility and age factor

age factor

age of General category candidates

between the ages of 21 and 32 years are currently eligible to appear for the civil services examination. They are allowed six attempts in all. 

SC/ST 

candidates are permitted to take the examination till the age of 37 years and there is no restriction on their number of chances. 

For OBC candidates

 the upper age limit is 35 years and they are allowed nine attempts. 

(PwBD) 

The upper age limit for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) is 42 years. They have unlimited chances if they are SC/ST and nine if they are from other categories.

sc/st and PWD not reaching top ? 

This means that SC/ST and PwBD candidates, irrespective of how well they perform as civil servants, are unable to reach the top because they generally join late and retire before reaching the top. 

They have to retire at lower or middle levels.  The fact is that the civil service is a race in which those who join at a young age remain around to reach the top even if their performance is not as good as those who join later.

 This is simply because of the age factor. Logically, the government’s focus should be on the official’s efficiency and competence and not on when he/she made it to the civil services within the prescribed age limits.

age limits can be lowered 

If it is considered that persons should not be working in their seventies, then the present age limits can be lowered to ensure that all candidates would retire by the time they reach around 67 years of age. The average age of men and women is rising in India. 

Besides, stringent medical fitness examinations can be conducted annually after the age of 62. This age is being mentioned because even today, some officers’ tenures take them to this age. Indeed, some persons who are holding responsible positions today, after their retirement from government service, are well into their seventies.

Have a committee

It is only if a fixed tenure is prescribed for all officers, irrespective of their age of entry, that SC/ST and OBC officers in larger numbers will fill the senior-most positions in government. 

That will contribute to a dream of Viksit Bharat, with social justice for all. As a beginning, the Leader of the Opposition should press for an independent and multi-disciplinary committee with adequate SC/ST, OBC and PwBD representation to examine this proposal with an open mind.

Source the hindu