DoPT Report 2024–25: Social Representation in Central Government Jobs

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) recently released its first comprehensive report since 2018-19, accounting for 32.52 lakh employees across 80 Ministries/Departments. 

• This marks a shift from the partial reporting (19-20 lakh employees) seen over the last five years.

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Key Highlights of the Report

• Representation vs. Statutory Mandate: The report compares the actual percentage of employees against the direct recruitment reservation quotas (15% for SC, 7.5% for ST, 27% for OBC, and 10% for EWS).
  • Scheduled Castes (SC): While the reservation quota is 15%, the actual representation stands at 16.84%. However, this reflects a downward trend from the 17.49% recorded in the 2018-19 report.
  • Scheduled Tribes (ST): Against a reservation quota of 7.5%, the current representation is 8.70%, marking a slight increase from the previous figure of 8.47%.
  • Other Backward Classes (OBC): This category saw the most significant rise, with representation jumping from 21.57% in 2018-19 to 26.32% in 2024, bringing it very close to the 27% reservation mandate.
  • Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): Although a 10% reservation quota exists, the 2024-25 report did not provide data on EWS representation, leaving the impact of this policy unaccounted for in the latest statistics.
• Occupational Segregation (The “Safai Karmachari” Factor): A striking finding of the report is the over-representation of marginalized communities in lower-tier manual roles.
  • Group C (Safai Karmacharis): More than 76% of sanitation workers (Safai Karmacharis) in the Central Government belong to SC, ST, or OBC categories.
  • This highlights a persistent social hierarchy where historically marginalized groups remain concentrated in sanitation-related roles.
• Group-Wise Representation Breakdown: The data reveals a “tapering” effect, where representation often decreases as the seniority of the post increases.
  • Group A (Top Tier): Combined representation of SC, ST, and OBC stands at 39.88%.
    • SC: 14.20%; ST: 6.54% & OBC: 19.14%
  • Group B: SCs comprise 16.20%, STs 7.63%, and OBCs 21.95%.
  • Group C (Excluding Safai Karmacharis): SCs are at 16.75%, STs at 8.94%, and OBCs at 27.29% (meeting the 27% mandate).
• Reporting Gaps and Issues:
  • Missing EWS Data: Despite being implemented since 2019, the report provides no data on EWS representation, hindering a complete assessment of the 103rd Constitutional Amendment’s impact.
  • Data Integrity: The DoPT noted that previous “shortfalls” in reporting (2019–2023) occurred because various Ministries failed to submit data on time, a point previously criticized by Parliamentary Committees.

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Arising Concerns

• The “Glass Ceiling” in Senior Bureaucracy:
  • Hierarchical Disparity: While overall representation is statistically healthy, it is skewed. The tapering effect in Group A (e.g., STs at only 6.54% vs the 7.5% mandate) indicates that marginalized groups are not reaching decision-making roles in proportion to their population.
  • Promotion Bottlenecks: The shortfall in senior grades suggests that the benefits of Article 16(4A) (Reservation in Promotions) are either not being implemented effectively or are hindered by litigation and administrative delays.
• Persistent Occupational Stereotyping:
  • The Sanitation Trap: The fact that over 66% (and up to 76% in some sub-data) of Safai Karmacharis belong to SC/ST/OBC categories reveals that “numerical representation” is still tied to traditional caste-based occupations.
  • Impact: This raises concerns about the dignity of labor and whether government employment is successfully breaking the cycle of caste-based labor or merely formalizing it.
• The “EWS” Accountability Gap:
  • Transparency Issues: By not providing EWS data since the 2019 implementation, the DoPT leaves a policy vacuum. 
    • It is impossible to evaluate if the 10% quota is being utilized or if it is impacting the available pool for “General” (Unreserved) seats.
• Data Integrity and Accountability:
  • Administrative Apathy: The “shortfall” in previous reports (2019–2023) due to Ministries not submitting data highlights a lack of institutional accountability. Without consistent data, the government cannot conduct the “Periodic Review” of backwardness suggested in Ram Singh v. Union of India.

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Way Forward

• Mandatory Digital Rosters: The government should move away from manual reporting to a Centralized e-Roster System. 
• • This would allow the DoPT to monitor vacancies and representation in real-time across all 80 Ministries, preventing “data shortfalls.”
• Addressing the Group A Gap: Conduct Special Recruitment Drives (SRDs) specifically for Group A and B backlog vacancies to ensure representation at the policy-making level.
  • Bridge Training: Implement “Capacity Building” programs for Group B employees from marginalized backgrounds to prepare them for senior leadership roles.
• Skill Upgradation for Group C: Focus on the vertical mobility of Safai Karmacharis. 
  • Providing technical training and educational support can help these employees move from manual labor to clerical or technical roles, breaking the occupational caste link.
• Sub-categorization of OBCs: To ensure that the 26.32% OBC representation is not monopolized by a few dominant castes, the government should consider the recommendations of the Rohini Commission for a more equitable distribution of benefits.
• Compliance with SC Directives: Following the M. Nagaraj and Jarnail Singh judgments, the government must use this 2024-25 data to create a permanent mechanism for assessing “inadequacy of representation” before making policy changes in reservations.

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