NCSC to Comprehensively Review Central De-reservation Proposals from Last Three Years
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has decided to conduct a comprehensive review of all proposals to de-reserve government posts submitted by the Central government over the past three years. The decision comes amid an ongoing standoff between the Commission and the Centre over the practice of de-reserving reserved vacancies, particularly in promotion cases.
De-reservation refers to the practice of filling a reserved vacancy as an unreserved one. It is permitted only under exceptional circumstances, as per the regulations issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). The general rule prohibits de-reserving posts, with specific exceptions allowing it only when a vacancy in a Group 'A' service cannot remain unfilled in public interest.
The NCSC has repeatedly flagged that de-reservation proposals from the Centre are often incomplete and fail to disclose alternative efforts made to fill the reserved posts. This has been a recurring issue, prompting the Commission to undertake a full review and formulate recommendations for the effective implementation of the reservation policy.
The move follows a recent change in the DoPT's procedure, which extended the time given to the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes to raise objections to de-reservation proposals from two weeks to one month. The revision came after the NCSC pushed for more time to examine such proposals.
In its latest Full Commission meeting on June 4, the NCSC noted that it would review all de-reservation proposals from the Centre with the objective of examining recurring issues and suggesting measures to ensure proper implementation of the reservation policy. The Commission, headed by Kishore Makwana, has had de-reservation on the agenda in four of the five Full Commission meetings held since 2024.
According to the minutes of these meetings, de-reservation proposals have been received for posts in public sector undertakings, the Ministries of Law, Housing and Urban Affairs, the Narcotics Control Bureau, the Central Reserve Police Force, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, among others. The NCSC did not agree to any of these proposals, citing consistent shortcomings.
The procedure for de-reserving a direct recruitment vacancy requires the proposal to be examined by the relevant National Commission, then by a Committee of Secretaries comprising the concerned department, the DoPT, and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The final decision rests with the Minister of Personnel and Training.
For promotion vacancies, the concerned recruiting ministry or department has the final say, but it must submit the proposal to the National Commissions and the DoPT and await their comments. The NCSC has also been pushing for a requirement that departments provide proof of alternate efforts made to fill reserved vacancies before seeking de-reservation.
The Commission's review is expected to bring greater scrutiny to the de-reservation process and ensure that the constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Castes are upheld in government recruitment.
