Bill creates criminal offense for false SC/ST claims, up to ₹50,000 fine or 3 years jail

It seeks to ensure fair representation by mandating reserved vacancies, age relaxations, and specific protections for these groups during recruitment and promotion.

Who it concerns: The law applies to every establishment owned, established, controlled, managed, or financed by the Central Government. This includes ministries, public sector undertakings, statutory authorities, corporations with over 51% government share capital, universities and colleges, schools, industries, trades, businesses, government companies, and autonomous bodies receiving aid from the Consolidated Fund of India.

What the bill does

• Mandates reservation of a prescribed percentage of posts for SC and ST members for direct recruitment and promotion.
• Excludes reservation for appointments lasting less than 45 days, emergency relief work, and certain high-level scientific/technical posts in institutions of national importance.
• Provides a five-year relaxation in the maximum age limit for direct recruitment and promotion for SC and ST members.
• Allows for the reduction of examination and application fees for SC and ST candidates.
• Permits relaxation in suitability standards and experience requirements if sufficient qualified SC/ST candidates are not available.
• Requires every establishment to designate a liaison officer to monitor compliance and inspect records.
• Mandates that appointing authorities maintain documents and furnish annual reports on SC/ST appointments.
• Establishes that reserved vacancies must be filled only by members of the respective SC or ST category.
• Prohibits the abolition of posts in a way that lowers the representation of SC/ST members below their reserved percentage.

Also in the document

• Creates a criminal offense for knowingly making a false claim of SC/ST membership, punishable by up to three years imprisonment or a fine of up to fifty thousand rupees, or both.
• Creates a criminal offense for knowingly issuing a false SC/ST certificate, punishable by up to three years imprisonment or a fine of up to fifty thousand rupees, or both.
• Specifies that intentional contravention of the Act's provisions by responsible personnel is liable for disciplinary action under applicable service rules.
• Deems existing government memoranda on reservation to be issued under this Act, provided they are not inconsistent with it.