Rajya Sabha proceedings are underway in the winter session of Parliament in New Delhi. file Photo Credit: ANI
After removing data on reservation for SC, ST, and OBC from its annual report for the first time in decades this year, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday (December 19, 2024). This was done because the data received from the ministry while preparing the annual report was ‘incomplete’.
The statement came in response to a question from CPI(M) MP John Brittas, who asked why the figures were omitted from the annual report, weeks later. Hindu previously reported.
In response to Mr. Brittas’ query, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh said: “Getting data/information from Ministries/Departments is a time-consuming process. While finalizing the Annual Report, relevant data received from various Ministries/Departments was incomplete and required reconciliation. Therefore, it could not be included in the Annual Report (2023-24) of DoPT.”
The 2023-24 annual report of the Department of Personnel and Training, is the first time in at least two decades that reservation data has been reduced. Hindu earlier this month.
The Union Minister continued in his reply: “The data has been collated later,” but went on to provide only rough numbers of SC, ST, and OBC employees, without providing the total number of employees and their percentages. Measured. The data provided is not tabulated group-wise, as is usual in the DoPT’s tabulation of reservation data. Nor does it clarify whether this figure is for all ministries and departments.
“As on 1.1.2024, the number of employees belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) is 5.47 lakh, 2.82 lakh and 8.55 lakh respectively. Scheduled Caste and Representation of tribals is as per the prescribed limits of 15% and 7.5% respectively.Representation of OBCs in direct recruitment has also been consistently more than 27% in the last 10 years,” emphasized Mr. Singh.
On vacancies and posts abolished by the government in the last five years, the Union Minister avoided a direct answer, instead saying: “The occurrence and recruitment of vacancies in various Ministries/Departments is a continuous process. The data/details of vacancies are maintained by the respective Ministries/Departments.
“Vacancies, in mission mode, are filled through job fairs launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 22nd October, 2022. 13 job fairs have been organized at the central level in 45-50 cities in various states/UTs. Lakhs of appointment letters have been distributed during the job fairs. ,” Mr. Singh said in response.
published – December 20, 2024 at 11:28 am IST