Why in the News?

On July 29, 2024, Rahul Gandhi (Leader of the opposition) pointed out the absence of SC/ST officers in framing the 2024 Budget.

Issue of Upper Caste Domination in Services:

• Lack of Representation: During his parliamentary address, the Leader of the opposition (Rahul Gandhi) highlighted the absence of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) officers among the 20 officials involved in framing the 2024 Budget proposals. He pointed out that only one officer from the minorities and one from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) were included, underscoring a systemic lack of representation for marginalized communities in key government functions.
• Upper Caste Dominance: The dominance of upper castes in senior civil service positions was confirmed by Minister of State (Jitendra Singh), who stated that out of 322 officers holding Joint Secretary and Secretary posts, 254 belonged to the general category, while only 16 were from SC, 13 from ST, and 39 from OBC categories. This indicates a significant underrepresentation of SC/ST officers in policy-making roles.

About Eligibility:

• Age Limits: General category candidates can appear for the civil services examination between 21 and 32 years, with a maximum of six attempts.
  • SC/ST candidates can take the exam until 37 years of age with unlimited attempts.
  • While OBC candidates have an upper age limit of 35 years with nine attempts.
  • The upper age limit for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) is 42 years.

Reason behind the underrepresentation of SCs, STs and OBCs in upper posts of civil services:

• Late Entry Disadvantage: SC/ST and PwBD candidates often join the civil services later in life and are unable to reach the highest positions due to retirement before attaining senior roles.
• Cabinet Secretariat data (2nd ARC) from 2004 shows that on average, unreserved candidates enter the service at the age of 24.7 years, whereas SC, ST, and OBC members do so at 27.6 years, 26.9 years, and 27.1 years respectively.

The Solution Lies in Having a Fixed Tenure: (Way forward)

• Fixed Tenure Proposal: To address the disparity, it is proposed that all civil servants, regardless of their age of entry, should have a fixed tenure of service, such as 35 years.
• Retirement Age Adjustment: The retirement age limits could be adjusted to ensure all civil servants retire by around 67 years of age, with annual medical fitness checks after the age of 62.
• Independent Committee Recommendation: It is suggested that an independent, multi-disciplinary committee with adequate SC/ST, OBC, and PwBD representation be established to examine this fixed tenure proposal to ensure social justice and broader representation at the highest levels of government.

Mains PYQ:

Q What are the two major legal initiatives by the state since Independence, addressing discrimination against Scheduled Tribes (ST)?  (UPSC IAS/2017)

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