Ensure SC, ST reservation in empanelment of babus: Par panel

Dismayed over the dismal representation of SC and ST officers in top echelon of the bureaucracy, a parliamentary committee today asked the government to make mandatory reservation in empanelment in the secretary-level appointments.
The committee is constrained to note that the representation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes candidates among higher echelons of bureaucracy is rather dismal. The committee is distressed to note that currently no Scheduled Caste official occupies the post of Secretary, the panel said in its report tabled in Parliament today.
The Committee notes that there is no reservation of any category when panel of officers for the posts of Secretary, Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary is prepared.

The Committee is also distressed to note that the present empanelment process is the denial of justice to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes officials as is evident that no SC official occupies the post of Secretary in any offices under the Government of India, it said.
"The Committee therefore strongly recommended that the reservation in the process of empanelment should be made mandatory. The reservation would thus serve to ease out the current imbalance in the empanelment process," the Committee said in its report on the review of representation of SCs and STs in senior position of the Government of India.

The panel did not agree with the Centre's reply on its findings and asked for "reiteration".
The Ministry of Personnel conveyed to the panel that at present, out of four each SC and ST officers empanelled for holding the post of Secretary to the Government of India from 1977, 1978 and 1979 batches, one SC officer and three ST officers have been appointed to the post of Secretary to the Government of India.