No central jobs for state OBC candidates

Candidates belonging to castes/communities included in a state Other Backward Community (OBC) list but not in the central list are not entitled to avail reservation in central government services, the central administrative tribunal (CAT) has ruled. Satya Prakash reports.

Candidates belonging to castes/communities included in a state Other Backward Community (OBC) list but not in the central list are not entitled to avail reservation in central government services, the central administrative tribunal (CAT) has ruled.

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A bench of CAT chairman justice VK Bali and vice chairman LK Joshi said a person belonging to castes/communities included in the OBC list prepared by the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment alone are entitled to get benefit of OBC quota in the central government services.

The order came on a petition by four candidates belonging to Jat community who, despite successfully clearing the examination under OBC category in 2007, were denied appointment to the post of lower division clerk in the employees state insurance corporation limited (ESICL) under OBC category on the ground that Jat is recognised as OBC by the Delhi government but it does not figure in the central OBC list.

The petitioners had argued that since the selection was to be made for Delhi region, OBC candidates who are from Delhi and are covered under the state OBC list should be given quota benefit. They also contended that in the past such appointments did take place, particularly in Delhi Police.

The central government pointed out that one of the conditions stipulated for appointment under OBC category was that that a candidate had to furnish a certificate as prescribed by the office memorandum of Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) dated September 8, 1993, as modified on March 9, 2004, that he/she belonged to OBC category on the central list.

The CAT rejected the Jat candidates' arguments, saying the facts of the case relating to appointment of Jat candidates in Delhi Police were different from the present one, as in the former a conscious and deliberate decision was taken by the Lt. Government of Delhi to include OBCs of both the lists – central as well as Delhi for recruitment to Delhi Police.