SC Issues Implemented Reservation Roster For SC/ST Promotions

The Supreme Court of India has implemented a post-based reservation roster for SC/ST staff recruitment and promotions, aligning with the 1995 R K Sabharwal vs State of Punjab Constitution Bench ruling.

Key Highlights

The Supreme Court has issued a Model Reservation Roster to streamline reservation for appointments and promotions of SC and ST staffers.
This move adheres to the 1995 five-judge Constitution Bench ruling, which mandated:
- Reservations in government appointments should be post-based, not vacancy-based.
- There must be separate rosters for direct recruitment and promotions.
- Once a post is reserved for a particular category, it remains with that category even after the retirement of the incumbent.

Implementation

The Model Reservation Roster and Register was notified through an internal circular uploaded on the SupNet
Staff have been asked to send objections or representations to the Registrar (Recruitment).
As per the model roster, the SC/ST employees will get their respective shares in direct recruitment and STs will get 7.5% in promotions.
The reservation policy applies to all levels of staff, from Registrar to Peon.

200-Point Roster System

Streamline reservation across recruitment and promotion.
Avoid ad-hoc implementation seen in the past.
Address backlogs in SC/ST posts.
This applies not only to direct recruitment but also to promotions.

Recent Judgements on Reservation

Jarnail Singh vs. Lachhmi Narain Gupta (2018): The Supreme Court ruled that the State is not required to gather quantifiable data on the backwardness of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes when providing reservation in promotions.
Mukesh Kumar & Another vs. State of Uttarakhand & Others (2020): The Supreme Court clarified that Articles 16(4) and 16(4A) of the Constitution do not confer a fundamental right to reservation or promotion. Instead, these are enabling provisions, allowing the State to grant reservations when appropriate conditions are met.

Constitutional Provisions on Reservation

Article 15(4): Allows the State to make special provisions for socially and educationally backward classes, including SCs and STs, in education.
Article 16(4): Permits reservation in public employment for backward classes not adequately represented in government services.
Article 16(4A): Enables reservation in promotions, with consequential seniority, for SCs and STs.
Article 16(4B): Allows carry-forward of unfilled reserved vacancies to future years without affecting the 50% reservation cap in any single year.
Article 335: SC/ST claims must be considered in appointments, while maintaining administrative efficiency; also allows relaxation in marks or evaluation standards for promotions.

Pros and Cons of Reservation

Pros	Cons
Addresses historical imbalances and aims to create an equitable society Breaks long-standing prejudices linked to social identity Enhances upward mobility for individuals from difficult socio-economic backgrounds Encourages inclusion in institutions by representing a wider range of voices and perspectives	May reduce focus on performance-based selection Risks of creating an unfair advantage for some at the cost of others (reverse discrimination) Withdrawals or revisions become politically sensitive, even when societal conditions change May foster resentment among groups not covered by such support

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