No proposal to fill up reserved seats with general candidates: Government

NEW DELHI: Government has no proposal to fill up the backlog vacancies of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes category seats with general candidates, Lok Sabha was informed today.

Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jintendra Singh said during April, 2012 to October 2014, 9,151 backlog vacancies of SC, ST and OBC were filled up by some major departments and ministries.

"There is no such proposal to fill up the backlog vacancies of SCs/STs and OBCs with general category candidates," Singh said.

"General instructions have been issued by this Department in June, 2013 to all concerned to make concerted efforts to fill up the backlog reserved vacancies," the minister said.

He said government constituted a Committee in July, 2013 under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to make an in depth analysis of the reasons for backlog of filling up of reserved vacancies and suggest measures to enhance the employability of reserved category candidates.

The Committee recommended measures for upgrading potential of SC, ST and OBC candidates, constitute expert committees to study root cause of problems, to provide pre-employment training, schemes for educational empowerment, upgradation of skills, vocational training among other things.

"Subsequent to the receipt of the recommendations of this committee, the matter has been examined by this department and time bound action plan has been finalised and intimated to all concerned Departments/Ministries on November 20 for implementation," he said.