New Delhi: A government-commissioned draft report has recommended that caste surnames or details giving out religious or social background of candidates should not be revealed at the interview stage in civil services and other central or state-level examinations as it increases chances of discrimination.
The report, accessed by ThePrint, stated that in the process of selection through open competitions into civil services and other services both at the centre and state levels, the chances of discrimination are high at the stage of personality test/interview.
The report on the progress of Scheduled Castes in seven decades was commissioned by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It was prepared and submitted to the government earlier this month by the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI), an association that promotes business enterprises for Dalits.
The report also pitched for reservation in the private sector to give “job security on par with the advanced sections of the society”.
DICCI founder-chairman Milind Kamble told ThePrint his “team has researched the development of the SC and ST and have given recommendations and a way forward”.
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‘Practice is good from all angles’
The report stated that to check discrimination, the general policy of candidates being prohibited from writing their names and other personal details, including religious symbols on their answer books, should be extended to the interview or personality tests in all recruitment.
“This practice is good from all angles, as it prevents any socio-religious bias in evaluation of answer books. This practice should be extended to the interview/personality tests also in all the recruitments small or big, UPSC or SPSCs or through other recruitment boards.”
“Therefore, it is necessary that the interview boards of various selection agencies should be kept completely out of knowledge about the social and religious background of the candidates to ensure objective assessment and award of marks purely on the basis of interview performance. This will ensure fairness in selecting meritorious candidates from all categories competing for the government jobs,” the report said.
It further said that the Union Public Service Commission takes the details of “religion and broad social category of the candidates, who fill their applications for various services/posts”.
“In the absence of such direct information, social background of candidates is guessed to a great extent from the names like the Nayer, lyer, Iyengar, Naidu, Menon, Bandhopadhyaya, Chathurvedi, Gupta, Patel, Panda, etc,” it argued.
‘Social justice ministry should change their outlook’
Speaking to ThePrint, Kamble said they have submitted progressive suggestions to the government.
“Social justice ministry should change their outlook as the policies designed in the 1970s need to be aligned with the new economic reforms.”
“We also need to create a robust reporting system like a dashboard so that the schemes can be monitored effectively, a strong vigilance system needs to be created so that no one can misuse the funds allocated through special component plan and tribal sub-plan. Whatever allocation made every year should be utilised, or carried forward and should not lapse or be diverted,” he added.
“Every year there is a good budgetary allocation. What happens is that a perception is created that so much is happening for the welfare of the SC/STs. But at the final tally, very little is utilised. Hence, wrong perception gets created. To avoid that, a strong monitoring mechanism is required,” he said.
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‘No creamy layer among SCs’
The report also highlighted that there is “no creamy layer among SCs”.
The report stated that the total Scheduled Caste “Group A” and “Group B” employment in the public sector is about 3,38,606.
“Their political representation in the legislatures is about a thousand individuals. This is the creamy layer of Scheduled Castes. In the 200 million-plus population, this is an insignificant number,” it stated.
It goes on to state that the creamy layer concept is an economic aspect “incongruently built in the social problem”.
“The real problem with reservations in the services is preserving and straightening its representative character, but not to see it as a direct solution to unemployment and eradication.”
“The problems of employment and poverty are to be solved through inclusive institutional changes in land and business enterprises, but not by tinkering with the system of reservation and representation,” it said.
“The immediate need of the community is not filtering the invisible creamy layer, but building their intellectual capital, which can fill the gaps in the teacher posts in the universities, judiciary, journalism, scientific and industrial research and in the organised private sector,” it added.
The report also stated that incentives being extended by the government to a couple marrying outside caste is neither decent nor adequate.
“Many inter/caste marriages get dropped at the proposal stage because of fear of losing financial support from the parents of both sides and orthodox social resistance. Therefore, the financial incentives should be received by a complete legal support system coupled with decent economic stand-up programmes,” the report said.
The report has suggested that vacancies against reservations for SC should be filled up with a special recruitment drive.
“As there is no creamy layer among Scheduled Castes, ideas like classification of Scheduled Castes and introduction of creamy layer among SC should not be pushed through with extraneous considerations,” it added.
The report also referred to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE’s) Consumer Pyramids HouseHold Survey (CPHS) database, which it said, has been analysed by professor Ashwini Deshpande of Ashoka University and professor Rajesh Ramachandran of University of Heidelberg, Germany.
Their findings stated that the Scheduled Castes are the “last to hire, first to fire”.
“Scheduled Castes are the worst affected of all social groups in the pandemic followed by the Scheduled Tribes and the OBCs in that order. While the upper caste job losses were only 7 per cent, it was 20 per cent for the SC, 15 per cent for the ST and 14 per cent for the OBC.”
“Had there been a system of reservation in the private sector employment, this kind of differential impact could have been perhaps lesser, though not entirely avoided. This is the reason for the backwards classes to demand reservations in the private sector.”
“It makes fairly clear that reservation is not just a source of employment. It is to give a level-playing job security on par with the advanced sections without too much of prejudice that has been playing havoc with the lives of these classes. It is a way of recognising merit, but not accommodating inefficiency,” it said.
The report also stated that government should consider sponsoring national and regional Dalit media channels as there is a dire need of educating the society on the problem of SCs through objective and impartial media channels.
It also called for a special law on the lines of labour laws, regulating SC jobs and job security in the private sector in view of the “extreme vulnerability of their employment”.
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to not reveal the surname in interviews is a good idea but the idea of Reservation in Private sector is a big Blunder. In fact it is disastrous.
After Providing Reservation in Education from Class One to Post Doctoral, complete educational & accommodation expenses even in IITs, We are further demanding a stick to walk on our own.
Govt should focus on employment creation in manufacturing sector rapidly and to invest in Agricultural Manufacturing industries.
Any sort of Reservation in Private Sector will disastrously reverse the Manufacturing and Service Sector Growth and investment in India.
To abandon the information regarding surname, caste can be a good idea but it will be disastrous to force Reservation in private sector. This will enormously affect the peace in nation and will further increase the caste based tensions, politics.
after providing reservation from Admission in Class 1 to Post Doctoral Fellowship and Complete Financial Assistance for study, accommodation the entire idea of Reservation in Jobs is faulty especially in case of Pvt sector.
There should be financial and law support to a particular backward caste but there should not be murder of Merit.
Govt should focus on Employment generation and regulate & prevent any social prejudice. Any further Reservation will be disastrous for the nation and Manufacturing and service sectors.
This report as reported,if true,us without ang logic.No basic principles followed.Ig is a biased report.Our social structures are such that nothing could be hidden what ever way we want.It is self explanatory from name.Rubbish.
Not reliable report.Discardable.
This is show your stupidity and jealousy you idiot
As long as you get entry at low score due to your surname, you can’t cry later if discrimination happens. Yes you are less eligible if you got in with reservation.
Please remove the caste and religious system entirely in india. No one should be discriminated based on their caste and religions. All should be identified by their nationality only. Otherwise change castes of people continously based on the work they do. Earlier caste is based on the works they had done but now there is no discrimination in works. Everyone is doing jobs or businesses but they are still following their family caste
Caste system does not vanish from our hearts unless there is intermarriage between castes.
Symbolic approach. Selection in services based on caste and category. Filing FIR in sc/st act based on caste.Marriges based on caste. Then why should accept this hypocritical view.
Instead of piling onto the private sector, the govt should set up PSUs staffed entirely by those to whom it seeks to give reservations.
Reservation is a representation of people . Which will be wise to implement from the govt. Point of view may be it’s in the private sector or public sector. At the same time govt. Should look into the weaker section of the society .
informative.
In some southern states, there is demand for reservations for locals in jobs in private sector, as much as 75%.
But don’t force private sector to do it. Instead govt can create rankings or ratings through audits/data collection for various types of diversity in private companies – just like MHRD does through the NIRF for colleges and universities. Companies can then advertise or declare in their job ads if they are equal opportunity employers, and declare the extent of diversity in their workforce. Let job seekers then decide individually what companies they want to work for.
The author already states that there is burgeoning unemployment in the cases of SC/ST. And how does it really matter if the companies declare themselves to be more inclusive to the candidates? What the candidates care about at the end of the day is due recognition and a decent pay packet!
Commendable proposal. Rather none should be permitted to use surname in the country.
Pandey has written the article. Kambli of Dalit Chamber. Deshpande study to refer. Really great. Nowhere caste and suggesting not to use surnames by govt.😀😀
Reservation in the private sector is a catastrophically stupid idea. As the Editor says, no one can stop a bad idea when its time has come. My fear is that a beleaguered government, facing a really tough general election, will do the honours.
Reservation in the private sector is a catastrophically stupid idea. As the Editor says, no one can stop a bad idea when its time has come. My fear is that a beleaguered government, facing a really tough general election, will do the honours.