30% Reservation In Govt Jobs For Women With Domicile In This State Put On Hold By High Court

The Uttarakhand high court has put a stay on a 2006 order giving 30 per cent reservation for women having domicile of the state in state civil services examination.

In brief

A bench, headed by Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi, and comprising Justice RC Khulbe, made the decision after hearing a petition filed by more than a dozen women candidates from outside the state who were under the unreserved category.

They said that they were not allowed to appear for the state services main examination despite securing more marks than the cut-off set for domicile women of the state.

Unfairly disqualified

The cut-off for women candidates of U’khand origin was 79%, while the petitioner women were disqualified despite scoring above 79%.

This is because according to the mandate of July 18, 2001 and July 24, 2006, 30 per cent horizontal reservation is being given to women of U’khand origin, which is unconstitutional.

They sought interim permission to appear for the main examination to be held in October, which was strongly opposed by the commission’s counsel but the court ruled in the petitioners’ favor.

Unconstitutional

Kartikey Hari Gupta, counsel appearing for the petitioner, said the state government’s order dated July 24, 2006, violated crucial rights under articles 14, 16, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.

He said that barring the aggrieved womn from appearing in the main examination was an act of discrimination against them.

As per Article 16 no state can give reservation on the basis of housing- only the parliament holds this right.

The state can only give reservations to the economically weaker people and backward sections.

Tripura’s women-centered initiatives

On Women’s Day this year, Union home minister Amit Shah announced several initiatives  for women taken by the government of Tripura such as 50 per cent reservation to operate shops in government shopping complexes or markets.

It is also setting up a reservation of 33 per cent to all women for any state government job, or for higher educational institutions.

All women taking admission in Institutions of National Importance will get a 3% interest waiver on loans if taken.

Further, 50 per cent of venture capital funds are reserved to promote startups by women.