Reservation for SC/ST and OBC in Government Services

Reservation for SC/ST and OBC in Services : Constitutional and Legal Provisions

Objective of providing reservations to the Scheduled Castes(SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in services is not only to give jobs to some persons belonging to these communities. It basically aims at empowering them and ensuring their participation in the decision making process of the State.

Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy, while delivering the majority judgement in the matter of Indra Sawhney & Ors Vs. UOI & Ors, observed that public employment gives a certain status and power, besides the means of livelihood. The Constitution has, therefore, taken special care to declare equality of opportunity in the matter of public employment.

Keeping the broader concept of equality in view, Clauses (4) and (4A) of Article 16 of the Constitution declare that nothing in the said Article shall prevent the State from making any provision for reservation of appointments or posts in favour of backward class of citizens which in the opinion of the State is not adequately represented in the services under the State. Article 16 of the Constitution and also Article 335 which have direct bearing on reservation in services .

But the Article 16 (1) and (2)states :-

16 (1) There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State.

(2) No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them, be ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect of, any employment or office under the State.

It seems that as per this Article providing concession and relaxation or reservation to some castes is not correct. But from this same Article only the Policy of Reservation to provide equality of opportunity in matters relating to appointment is evolved.

whether the Reservation Policy for SC/ST and OBC in central government jobs is against the Constitution..?