Are meritorious SC, OBCs being short-changed?

NEW DELHI: The national commission for SCs is examining if the Centre is using the concessions given to Dalits and backwards to appear in examinations as the basis to classify them as "reserved candidates" irrespective of merit.

It has asked the personnel ministry ( DoPT) to inform if it had issued directions to comply with a Supreme Court order which ruled that concessions to help a candidate appear in examinations cannot be termed as "reservation benefits" if he qualifies on merit.

The SCs/STs/OBCs are given relaxation at two levels over "general" candidates.

They are extended a higher ceiling on eligibility age to undertake examinations and also provided a waiver in exam fees. Also, the recruitment agency relaxes the merit to create a lower threshold of qualification.

However, there are complaints that the preliminary concessions like age and exam fees to enable the "reserved" candidates to compete are being treated as "reservation", resulting in even those qualifying on merit being put against the quota seats.

According to National Commission for Backward Classes, the Supreme Court passed an order in "Jitendra Singh vs State of Uttar Pradesh" case in 2010 that "candidates who have availed some concessions to enable them to appear in a competition but who have qualified on general standards, should be adjusted against unreserved vacancies."

The NCBC noted that the apex court ruling was not being adhered to because the DoPT, the UPSC and other recruitment agencies have not followed it up with new directions. It petitioned the NCSC which has the mandate of grievance redressal of both Dalits and backwards.

In a letter on July 22, the NCSC, headed by PL Punia, has asked the DoPT for related information.

The move may open the door to a future controversy if it emerges that successive governments have not made the apex court order the new template for reservation policy.

The quota politics has heated up again after complaints that the Centre this year "misinterpreted" the "creamy layer" to hurt the interests of successful civil services candidates.

The backward MPs raised the issue in Parliament twice this week while also petitioning the top managers of the Modi government.