VILLUPURAM: The Union Education Ministry hasn’t filled 81% of posts reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), and 92% reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), as per data from the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. This data, compiled till December 2020, was submitted in response to questions raised by Villupuram MP D Ravikumar.
“The data is more than a year old, and by now, the number of vacancies would have only risen. Keeping the seats reserved for SCs and STs unfilled while educated youth suffer from unemployment is proof that the BJP-led Union government is betraying SCs and STs,” Ravikumar told TNIE.
According to an official release, Ravikumar questioned whether the Centre was implementing the Supreme Court’s judgment on reservation for SCs and STs in promotions. He also sought details on the filling of posts reserved for members of these communities.
In reply, MoS in the PM’s office Jitender Shah on Friday said that before offering reservations in promotions, data should be collected on the inadequacy of representation of SCs and STs, and the data will be used separately for each cadre.
The Centre said the Department of Personnel Training collects data on vacancies in the SC and ST categories from 10 ministries that have more than 90% of central staff.
These are the departments of defence production, railways, financial services, posts, defence, housing and urban affairs, home affairs, atomic energy, revenue, and education.
In the departments of revenue and education, 85% and 81% of posts, respectively, reserved for SCs are vacant. The data on ST-reserved posts is even more shocking — 92% are vacant in the education department, and 93% in the other.
The defence production ministry provided the most jobs, filling 6,976 out of 8,847 posts reserved for SCs, and 5,880 out of 7,574 posts for STs.
On a question the MP raised regarding reservation in the private sector, the Centre said industry representatives think reservation is not the solution, but are ready to work with the government to increase recruitment among marginalised sections, and impart skill development training to SCs and STs.
“Apex industry associations have prepared Voluntary Codes of Conduct for their member organisations on education, employment, entrepreneurship, and employment-focused activities,” the release said.