KATHMANDU, Jan 22: The government has proposed to give the benefit of reservation to a person from the marginalized and backward communities only once in the person's entire career during government service.
A draft of Federal Civil Service Bill 2075 has introduced this provision to replace the existing Civil Service Act.
The new provision states that the person entitled to reservation benefit shall get this privilege only once either in the gazetted third class level or any other officer-level position or in any non-gazetted positions in the government service.
Government officials say that the new provision which was made at the recommendation of the High-Level Administration Reform Commission led by administration expert Kashi Raj Dahal is expected to give reservation opportunities to a large number of people from among the targeted population as it restricts the same person from receiving reservation benefits time and again.
Administrative expert Dahal said this was recommended in order to ensure social justice to all belonging to the marginalized and backward communities.
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“We need to take the measures taken so far positively. We still need to make further classification of people, going beyond the existing one,” Dahal said.
The Indian government recently introduced a policy of giving reservation to economically poor candidates from high caste people as well.
Dahal said that Nepal also needs to introduce such policy to give reservation based on economic status of the family concerned.
“This is the spirit of our constitution as well,” he said.
The government introduced reservation policy for the first time after the end of the 2006 people's movement in order to ensure participation of different groups in the state organs.
As per the reservation policy introduced in the Civil Service Act amended in 2007, 45 percent of the total vacancies in government service were allocated to various marginalized and backward communities.
Among the 45 percent seats reserved for candidates from these communities, the government allocated 33 percent seats for women, 27 from candidates from indigenous nationalities, 22 percent for Madhesis, nine percent for Dalits, and five percent for people with disabilities. The remaining four percent seats were allocated for those from the backward region.
According to last year's annual report of the Public Service Commission (PSC), altogether 16,939 candidates were recommended for appointment under the reservation category in the previous eight years since this policy was introduced. The report has stated that a significant number of candidates under the reservation category also appeared in the open category exams.
As per the provision made in the draft of the Federal Civil Service Bill, the government has proposed allocating half of the total seats allocated in the reservation category for women. The draft bill proposes to hold competition among women from various ethnic backgrounds to fill these posts in order to further increase the presence of women in bureaucracy.
The draft bill has proposed to allocate 31 percent for women from Khas/Arya community, 22 percent to women from the indigenous nationalities and 20 percent to women from the Madhesi community.
Similarly, it has proposed to allocate 10 percent seats for women from the Dalit community, five percent each for women from the Tharu community and physically challenged women, four percent for those from geographically backward region and the remaining three percent for women from the Muslim community.
