Activist demands OBC reservation in Delhi judicial services
NEW DELHI: A lawyer has threatened to challenge before a court the Delhi high court’s move to fill 100 vacancies of judicial officers in various trial courts in the Capital without giving any reservation for OBCs.
An OBC activist and lawyer has written to Chief Justice of India, chief justice of Delhi high court, Delhi chief minister, the lieutenant governor and the chairman of National Commission for Backward Classes, demanding that the posts be re-advertised to include OBC quota.
Advocate Arvind Tawar threatened to go to court if the demand wasn’t met. He said OBCs were already getting quota in judicial services in other states like Haryana, UP and Madhya Pradesh.
As per the October 3 advertisement, the HC plans to fill 68 general seats, 12 Scheduled Caste (SC) seats and 20 seats from Scheduled Tribes (ST) and the examination for the Delhi Judicial Service Examination 2015 is scheduled to be held on December 20, 2015.
“Surprisingly, the Delhi government and Delhi high court have not notified the vacancies within the meaning of Article 16(4) of Constitution for the backward class of citizens of Delhi,” Tawar’s letter said. The article provides for reservation of backward classes which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented in its services.
Claiming that around 48% of Delhi’s population belongs to OBC as per the 2001 Census, Tawar said: “Delhi government is under obligation to make 27% reservation for the people belonging to backward classes who are permanently domiciled in NCT of Delhi”.
He said “51 castes/classes of OBC were notified by NCT of Delhi on May 25, 1995”. He also said that the matter required “immediate intervention” to protect the interests of OBCs in Delhi, so that a “balanced representation in judicial services may be given effect”.
In the letter, he requested the Delhi government and the high court to review its reservation policy saying, “It is needed to uplift socially and economically weaker sections of society.”
As per the Supreme Court directives there can only be 50% quota reservation in jobs. Different state governments allocate quota to OBCs as per the castes living there.
› Delhi government is under obligation to make 27% reservation for the people belonging to backward classes who are permanently domiciled in NCT of Delhi. The vacancies have not been notified within the meaning of Article 16(4) of Constitution for the other backward class citizens of Delhi.
ARVIND TAWAR, lawyer and activist