ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)
(a) & (b): Government has taken various measures for the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in service not only at the time of initial recruitment, but also at the time of subsequent appointments. The details of the concessions provided to SC, ST and OBC candidates are at Annexure.
(c) & (d): Draft report has been received through email in this Department on 12.02.2021.
(e): As a part of the socio-economic and financial inclusion strategy of the Government to ensure that all segments of the society, particularly the Scheduled Castes, are benefited and adequate funds are allocated for their development, the concept of Development Action Plan for SCs (DAPSC) earlier known as Allocation for Welfare of SCs or SC Sub-Plan is being implemented by the Government so that targeted financial and physical benefits can accrue to the Scheduled Castes. As per the Ministry of Finance guidelines, funds under the SC component are not re-appropriated to Non-SC heads. NITI Aayog and this Department has issued various instructions for implementation and monitoring of the Schemes/programs meant for SCs. Proper monitoring framework is already in place for monitoring of DAPSC. In addition to this all the Schemes/Policies also have inbuilt mechanism in the form of various committees for monitoring the physical and financial progress.
(f): Department of Social Justice & Empowerment has been made the nodal Ministry by the NITI Aayog for outcome based monitoring of expenditure in these sectors by all the Ministries/Departments, for welfare of SCs, which deal with this matter, through earmarking of a certain percentage of funds exclusively for welfare of SCs. A web application ‘e-utthaan’ was developed in 2017 and has been implemented since 2017-18 for financial, physical and outcome based monitoring of the identified Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes. All financial data of releases under Scheduled Castes component is received through PFMS on daily basis.
Moreover, Monitoring of funds is done through seeking physical and financial progress report alongwith utilization certificate from concerned State/UTs as well as review meeting with the concerned States/UTs.
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Annexure
Lok Sabha Un-Starred Question No. 3426 for 16.03.2021
The various relaxations/ concessions applicable to SC/ST/OBC candidates in posts and services under the Central Government.
(a) Concession in Promotions within Group A - When promotion by selection is made from a Group A post to a Group A post which carry Grade Pay of Rs. 8700/- or less the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Officers, who are senior enough in the zone of consideration for promotion so as to be within the number of vacancies for which the select list has to be drawn up, would be included in that list provided they are not considered unfit for promotion.
(b) Consideration for Appointment by Deputation and Absorption - Whenever a Ministry/Department/Attached Office/Subordinate Office etc. propose to depute, in public interest, officers serving under them to a post in or under another Ministry/Department etc., the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe employees serving under them, who are eligible to be sent on deputation should also be considered along with other eligible employees for such deputation.
(c) Age Relaxation in Direct Recruitment - The maximum age-limit prescribed for direct recruitment to a service or post shall be increased by 5 years in the case of candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and by 3 years in the case of candidates belonging to OBCs.
(d) Age Relaxation in Promotion - Where an upper age-limit not exceeding 50 years is prescribed for promotion to a service/post, it shall be relaxed by 5 years in the case of candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This, however, would not apply to posts which have arduous field duties or are meant for operational safety and to posts in para-Military Organizations.
(e) Concession in Fee - The candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are not required to pay any fees for admission to any recruitment examination/selection.
(f) Relaxation of Experience Qualification for SCs and STs in Direct Recruitment - When any vacancies reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are advertised or intimated to the Employment Exchange, it should be specifically mentioned in the advertisement/requisition that the period of experience prescribed is relaxable, at the discretion of the Union Public Service Commission or the competent authority, as the case may be, in the case of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe candidates as provided in the Recruitment Rules. Where some period of experience is prescribed as an essential qualification for direct recruitment to a post, and where, in the opinion of the Ministry/Department concerned, the relaxation of the experience qualification will not be inconsistent with efficiency, a provision for relaxation of experience by competent authority can be considered.
(g) Relaxation of Standard of Suitability in Direct Recruitment - In direct recruitment to the extent the number of vacancies reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes cannot be filled on the basis of general standard, candidates belonging to these communities will be taken by relaxed standard to make up the deficiency in the reserved quota, subject to the fitness of these candidates for appointment to the post/posts in question.
(h) Relaxation of Standards in Departmental Competitive / Qualifying Examinations - If in case of promotions made through departmental competitive examinations, sufficient number of Schedule Caste / Scheduled Tribe candidates are not available on the basis of general standard to fill all the vacancies reserved for them, Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe candidates who have not acquired the general qualifying standard can also be considered for promotion to fill up the remaining vacancies reserved for them provided they are not found unfit for such promotions.
However, the issue of reservation in promotion is presently subjudice before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Jarnail Singh (SLP No.30621/2011).
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