Implementation of Policy of Reservation in the Ministries/Departments – Record of Discussion of the meeting held on 27.07.2026 under the Chairmanship of Joint Secretary (CS &IC), DoPT
No. 43011/3/2026-PP(Res.-II)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training
Pers. Policy (Res) Section
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North Block, New Delhi
30th July, 2026
Subject: Record of Discussion of the meeting held on 27.07.2026 regarding Implementation of Policy of Reservation in the Ministries/Departments-reg.
A meeting was held on 27.07.2026 at Kartavya Bhawan-3, New Delhi on the subject “Implementation of Policy of Reservation in the Ministries/Departments”.
Representatives/officers, including Liaison Officers, from the following 13 Ministries/Departments attended the said meeting:
- Ministry of Animal Husbandry & Dairying
- Ministry of Labour
- Ministry of Textiles
- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
- Ministry of Telecommunications
- Ministry of Railways
- Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
- Ministry of Urban Development
- Department of Defence Research & Development, Ministry of Defence
- Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance
- Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance
- Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India
- Ministry of Home Affairs
2. The Record of discussion of the meeting is enclosed herewith for further necessary action.
(Subodh Verma)
Under Secretary to the Government of India
Ph. 24010441
RECORD OF DISCUSSION HELD IN THE MEETING REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICY OF RESERVATION IN THE MINISTRIES/DEPARTMENTS HELD ON 27.07.2026 AT KARTAVYA BHAWAN-3, NEW DELHI
A review meeting was held under the chairmanship of Joint Secretary (CS & IC), DoPT, on 27.07.2026 at Kartavya Bhawan-3, New Delhi on the subject “Implementation of Policy of Reservation in the Ministries/Departments”. Representatives/officers, including Liaison Officers, of following 13 Ministries/Departments attended the meeting:
- M/o Animal Husbandry & Dairying
- M/o Labour
- M/o Textiles
- M/o Health
- M/o Telecommunications
- M/o Railways
- M/o Information & Broadcasting
- M/o Urban Development
- D/o DRD, Ministry of Defence
- D/o Financial Services, Ministry of Finance
- D/o Revenue, Ministry of Finance
- CAG
- M/o Home Affairs
The List of participants is at Annexure.
2. Joint Secretary (CS & IC) welcomed all the participants and stated that DoPT has issued instructions regarding reservation in appointments which the Ministries/Departments are expected to implement. He informed the participants that the Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of SCs/STs has been reviewing the policy of reservation in appointments and has stressed on implementation of the reservation policy so that the reserved categories persons get adequate representation in the services. JS(CS & IC), therefore, emphasised that it is the responsibility of every Ministry/Department to ensure implementation of the reservation policy in letter and spirit. Then, he directed Director (Reservation-I) to give a presentation on the subject.
3. Director (Reservation-I), DoPT gave a brief presentation on this subject and informed the participants on the following:
- DoPT issues policy instructions on reservation in appointments to posts and services under the Central Government. However, the responsibility for implementation of the same lies with the concerned Ministry/Department.
- DoPT policy instructions on reservation in promotion (OM dated 13.8.1997- regarding reservation in promotion and DoPT OMs dated 11.7.2002 and 10.8.2010 regarding own merit in promotion) are presently subjudice before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Jarnail Singh matter. In pursuance of the Hon’ble Supreme Court judgment, dated 28.01.2022 in Jarnail Singh matter, DoPT has issued an OM, dated 12.04.2022, which require preparation of the reservation rosters as per DoPT OM, dated 02.07.1997 and vetting of the same by the LOs. The Ministries/Departments are required to implement the policy of reservation in promotion in terms of OM, dated 12.04.2022.
- As per the instructions issued by DoPT from time to time, each Ministry/Department is required to constitute an Expert Committee under JS (Admn.) for filling up of the backlog reserved vacancies. The Committee is required to identify the backlog reserved vacancies, to study root cause of such vacancies, to initiate measures to remove the factors causing such vacancies and to fill them up through Special Recruitment Drives.
- As per the instructions, each Ministry/Department is required to designate an officer atleast of the rank of Deputy Secretary as Liaison Officer whose duty includes implementation of the policy of reservation in appointments. A special reservation cell is also required to be created under the direct control of the Liaison Officer to assist him in discharge of his duties effectively. All the organisations/autonomous bodies under the Ministry/Department are also required to create a system of Liaison Officer and Reservation Cell as applicable in respect of Central Govt. Ministry/Department. Further, the Liaison Officer of the Ministry/Department is responsible for overall implementation of the reservation policies in the Ministries/Departments and the organisations under it.
- As per the instructions issued vide OM, dated 22.10.2024, Liaison Officer of the Ministry is required to mandatorily attend the workshops being conducted by ISTM on “Reservation in Service” and “Role of Liaison Officer in Reservation”. Further, these instructions provide that the Liaison Officer should also complete the online courses on “Reservation Policy Reservation in Service” and “Role of Liaison Officer in Reservation” as available on the iGOT Karmyogi platform. Further, a new online programme titled “Reservation Rosters: Compliance and Implementation” is also now available on the iGOT platform and the Liaisons Officers should also complete the same.
4. The current status of the data uploaded by the Ministries/Departments on the rrcps portal was presented during the meeting and the officers of the Ministries were requested to furnish their comments/views on the above points as well as the action being taken by them for implementation of the reservation policy. The following points emerged from the discussions:
- The Ministries/Departments informed that they have appointed officers of the rank of Deputy Secretary as Liaison Officers (LO). However, in case of Department of Defence Research and Development, an officer lower than DS was appointed as LO. They were requested to ensure that DS rank officer may be appointed as LO.
- Majority of the Liaison Officers had either undergone the training at ISTM or completed the courses on iGOT. The LOs who had done neither of these training courses were requested to complete the courses at the earliest.
- The Departments, except Department of Revenue, informed that they are not facing any issue with regard to implementation of the policy of reservation in promotion and they are implementing the DoPT OM, dated 12.04.2022. In case of Department of Revenue, the concerned officer was requested to implement this policy in terms of the said OM.
- The Ministries/Departments also informed that they are extending the benefit of own merit in promotions. However, they informed that due to the grant of the benefit of own merit in promotion, a situation is faced in few grades where candidates belonging to SCs/STs are not available for promotion against the reserved vacancies due to which backlog vacancies arise.
- The officers of the Ministries/Departments informed that they are taking necessary action for filling up of the reserved vaccines, including backlog reserved vacancies. However, majority of the Ministries/Departments present informed that they had not constituted a JS level committee as required by DoPT instructions.
5. After the discussions, the Chairman directed the following:
- Every Ministry/Department should ensure that a committee under the chairmanship of JS rank officer may be constituted which shall hold periodic meetings so as to fill up all the reserved vacancies in a time bound manner.
- Special Recruitment Drives may be conducted for filling up of all the backlog reserved vacancies.
- The non-availability of SC/ST candidates for appointment against reserved vacancies due to promotion of SC/ST candidates on own merit should not be the reason for continuing unfilled/backlog reserved vacancies. The Ministries/Departments should ensure that representation of reserved category persons is ensured at all levels, including lower levels.
- Every Ministry/Department should ensure appointment of Liaison Officer at least of the rank of Deputy Secretary including in the organisations under them.
- The Ministries/Departments should ensure that Liaison Officers oversees and monitors implementation of the reservation policy. The LO should ensure that the reservation rosters are being implemented strictly in terms of DoPT guidelines. Since the LO is responsible for implementation of the reservation policy not only in the administrative Ministry/Department but also in the organisations under the Ministries/Departments, the LO should undertake visits to such organisations, hold meetings with concerned officers there and inspect the reservation rosters.
- The Liaison Officers should ensure that they mandatorily undergo the training conducted by ISTM on reservation policies. Further, they should also complete the online training courses on reservation available on the iGOT platform, including the newly added training course titled “Reservation Rosters: Compliance and Implementation”. It was also suggested to explore the feasibility of fetching the data of the officer designated as LO from eHRMS, to this extent.
- However, the Chairman while appreciating the work done by the Ministries/Departments in implementing the policy of reservation also urged upon them to ensure that they act in in right earnest and ensure that backlog vacancies under promotion quota are filled up at the earliest.
6. The workshop ended with a vote of thanks to the Chair.
ANNEXURE
List of participants
- Vinod Kumar, AGM, BECIL
- Ved Prakash Gupta, DGM, BECIL
- Nandini Palat, Director, DoT
- Srinivasan N, AAO, DoT
- Surendra Kumar, DCA(AG), MOD
- Sunil Kr Mishra, DS(CP), DoD
- Amarjeet Singh, Dir (ICP), MHA
- C.S.Thakur, Dir(Estt), MHA
- Akhlesh Kumar, AAO(Staff), C&AG
- Saurabh Deshmukh, Dir(IA), DoP
- D.P.Singh, DS(Coord), DHR
- Harsh Chander, ASO, MHA
- Jasjeet Singh, ASO, MHA
- Sushil Kumar, SO, MHA
- Anil Kumar, Director, M/o Textiles
- Hari Kishor, DS, M/o Textiles
- Pramod Kumar Saifi, Pr ED, M/o Railways
- P.C.Biswas, DS, D/o Revenue
- R.C.Sethi, DS, M/o HUA
- S.C.Kashyap, DS, D/o AHD
- Sanjib Bhattacharya, DS, D/o DAHD
- Vijay Soni, DS, M/o I&B
- Thanjam Rakesh Kumar, Sr Dir, M/o Railways
- Sanjay Kumar, SO, M/o Railways
- S V Ramana, Dir, M/o Labour
- Vijay Kr Meena, DS, M/o Labour
- Avon Kumar Sharma, US, D/o DRD
- Amit Tripathi, ACAO, DOP
- Salman Sabri, SO, Reservation, MoHUA
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