Sachar Committee effect: Government jobs for minorities up

The share of minorities — including Muslims — in government jobs is rising steadily on the back of the Prime Minister’s 2007 directive to focus on their employment, latest government data reveals. Zia Haq reports.

The share of minorities — including Muslims — in government jobs is rising steadily on the back of the Prime Minister’s 2007 directive to focus on their employment, latest government data reveals.

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The last three years saw a significant rise in government recruitment of minorities: 6.9 per cent in 2007 to 8.3 per cent in 2008 and 9.24 per cent last year. Between ’08 and ’09, the share of minorities on government rolls increased 24 per cent.

The PM’s directive in 2007 came after the Sachar Committee, which probed the disadvantages faced by Muslims — who make up more than 85 per cent of India’s minority population — found the community lagging on various socio-economic parameters.

According to its findings in 2006, Muslims held fewer than 5 per cent of government posts.

Disaggregated employment data for Muslims isn’t available, since the PM’s directive was to focus on minority employment.

“Muslim employment would have gone up since they make up 85 per cent of all minorities,” Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said.

“This indicates inclusive development, which necessarily can’t happen without minorities,” retired chief justice Rajinder Sachar, who headed the Sachar panel, said.

Khurshid said the “PM is now engaging the private sector directly” to improve workplace diversity voluntarily.