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Govt vs Israni Report lost in translation[/TD]
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Among OBCs, Jats claim 40% top govt jobs[/TD]
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DNA Correspondent
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In a bid to end the confusion and contradictory statements flying over Israni committee report on 5 per cent reservation to SBC, the state government finally uploaded the report on social justice department website. In its report, the Commission has considered Gurjars a backward community in the state. However, the ambiguity continues as report leaves lot to interpretation.
A case in point is that the report nowhere specifies categorically if 5 percent SBC reservation to Gurjars should be given within constitutional limits of 50 per cent or whether the government should exceed the limit.
Chief minister Ashok Gehlot is of the view that all decisions have been taken on the basis of report and turned the heat on the media for inciting rumour-mongering. “You (media) are repeatedly feeding words into the mouth of OBC Commission chairman. The media had published incorrect reports, which it is now trying to justify by bending the chairman’s quotes to suit their end resulting in baseless rumours,” Gehlot said, adding, “We have posted the report on website and anyone can go through the contents of report and understand our stand on reservation. All decisions of state government have been taken on the basis of the report,” chief minister Ashok Gehlot clarified his stand on Friday. Gehlot admitted that the report was released on public domain to end the confusions.
But the confusion seems far from over. The commission, for instance, has highlighted Indira Sahani case and postulated that section 165 (4) of constitution does not provide for reservation in excess of 50 percent. However, the Commission contradicts its own observation saying that India is land of socio-economic and geographical diversity where people living in remote areas need to be linked with the mainstream society. Under such special cases reservation may exceed 50 per limit.
Chairman Justice IS Israni insists that the OBC Commission has never recommended the government to push reservation in state beyond the 50 per cent ceiling. “We did not recommend state government to exceed 50 percent limit. It’s up to the government to decide on the issue. We have just brought Indira Sahani’s case and related matter to the notice of state government,” Justice IS Israni said.
However, CB Sharma, member secretary of OBC Commission, however, toes the government line. “We have recommended that Gujars should be given separate 5 percent SBC reservation. In special cases reservation can exceed 50 percent limit,” said CB Sharma.
The quota trouble in Rajasthan has its genesis in state government’s decision to include Jat community in the OBC in 1999.
Over the years, the Jat community cornered the biggest chunk of quota benefits in OBC category if their representation in state government is any indication.
According to quantifiable data provided by government departments to Other Backward Classes (OBC) commission, between 2007 and 2012, Jats cornered 30 to 50% of posts including posts reserved for OBC and the OBC who were selected against general category. However, their share in the population as per 1931 census is just 9 per cent.
Whether it is RAS and RPS, gazetted officers or subordinate services, Jats dominate over 81 other communities in the OBC quota. Out of 60 OBC candidates selected for RAS 20 were Jats, which amounts to 30% of the quota pie while in the RPS, the Jat candidates bagged 10 posts out of 21 bagging
a lion’s share of 50%. According to the data, 100 posts out of 281 in various administrative services have gone to the Jats, but five SBC communities together share just 9 posts between them.
Similarly, among the gazette officers, 884 posts out of total 1,445 successful OBC candidates went to candidates from the Jat community. Within this, 670 doctors out of 1,559 and 71 assistant professors in college education out of 163 were Jats, the SBC candidates ended up with just 73 posts.
In subordinate services, 552 posts went to OBC candidates. Of them 279 were Jats while only 20 are from SBC communities. Interestingly, many communities didn’t get a single job in this period.
According to data between 2001 and 2012, Jats received more than 9% jobs out of total appointments by the government while they got nearly 30% share within the OBC appointments.
Even in colleges and universities, out of 20,765 OBC and SBC (Special Backward Classes) students at present, 7,833 are Jats while number of Gurjar students is just around 1,000.
Not surprisingly, just like Bheel Meenas have been demanding a split in the ST reservation, several castes in the OBC are raising a similar demand or want a separate quota for them.[/TD]
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