SERVICE CONCESSIONS FOR SCs AND STs

---

In order to fill up vacancies reserved for SCs and STs, various relaxations and concessions are given. In case of direct recruitment, SCs and STs get concessions like relaxation in upper age limit by five years, exemption from payment of examination/application fee, relaxation in qualification regarding experience at the discretion of UPSC/Competent authority and relaxation in standards of suitability. In case of promotion, they get concessions like extension of zone of consideration to five times the number of vacancies in case suitable SC/ST candidates are not available within the normal zone of consideration, relaxation in marks/standards of evaluation, relaxation in upper age limit by five years where upper age limit prescribed for promotion does not exceed 50 years. Backlog/carried forward vacancies reserved for SCs/STs are treated as a separate and distinct group and are not subject to the ceiling of 50 per cent of filling up of reserved vacancies. All the Ministries and Departments have been requested to carry out a review for early assessment of backlog vacancies in respect of SCs and STs and make concerted efforts to fill them up.

The appointment of judges of the Supreme Court of India and the High Courts is made under article 124 and 217 of the Constitution of India respectively which do not provide for reservation for any caste or class of persons.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley in a written reply to a question from Shri Moolchand Meena in the Rajya Sabha today.