Uttarakhand HC stays 30% quota to women with domicile in state civil services

The high court put a stay on the state government's order dated July 24, 2006 while hearing petition by over a dozen of women candidates who appeared for the exam.

The Uttarakhand high court on Wednesday put a stay on 30 per cent reservation of women having domicile of the state in state civil services examination.

The counsel for the petitioners argued that the state government had no power to provide domicile-based reservations and it can be done only through an act of parliament. (Representative image)

A bench, headed by Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi, and comprising Justice RC Khulbe, put a hold on the 2006 order in this regard.

Why was the decision taken?

A petition was filed by more than a dozen women, who secured higher marks in the preliminary test held on April 3 this year of the state civil examination than the cut off marks for women candidates with state domicile.

These women from other states belonging to unreserved category were not able to appear for the main examination. Kartikey Hari Gupta, counsel appearing for the petitioner, said the state government's order dated July 24, 2006, violated crucial rights under articles like 14, 16, 19 and 21 of the Constitution .

The advocate added that not allowing the aggrieved women candidates to appear in the main examination was an act of discrimination against them. He argued that the state government had no power to provide domicile-based reservations and it can be done only through an act of parliament.

Reservation for women

In May this year, the Karnataka government had reserved 33 per cent posts for outsourced women employees in all the departments.

On Women's Day this year, Union home minister Amit Shah announced several women-oriented initiatives taken by the government of Tripura like 50 per cent reservation to operate shops in government shopping complexes or markets.

He also spoke about the Tripura government's decision to give a reservation of 33 per cent to all women for any state government job, or for higher educational institutions. All women taking admission in Institutions of National Importance will get a 3% interest waiver on loans if taken.

He also said that 50 per cent of venture capital fund is reserved to promote startups by women.

(With agency inputs)