Removal of 5% ceiling on compassionate appointment (DOPT) – Agenda Item No. NC-49/3/26 – 49th NC (JCM) Meeting
(DoP&T O.M. No. 3/1/2025-JCA dated 03.06.2026)
Minutes of the 49th Meeting of the National Council (JCM) held on 11.05.2026 under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary.
5.24 Item No. NC-49/3/26: Removal of 5% ceiling on compassionate appointment (DOPT)
The demand in brief is that Govt. has imposed restriction of 5% on the compassionate appointments to the total direct recruitment quota vacancies earmarked for each year in each recruiting units of various departments causing untold sufferings to families of untimely demise of employees, whereas the compassionate appointments in the Railways is continue to operate without any such ceiling.
Shri C. Srikumar, Member, Staff Side stated that in the Ministry of Defence, Direct Recruitment has been stopped in Group-C Posts for many years and hence, there is no candidate available in Group-C Direct Recruitment post for promotion to higher post so as to get resultant vacancies in DR posts to calculate the 5% Quota. Therefore, instead of calculating the 5% in the vacancies arising in the DR post in a particular year, it may be calculated as 5% of the available DR vacancies. Apart from this, in Ministry of Defence, the dependents of Armed Forces Personnel are given employment on compassionate ground in the 5% quota calculated in the vacancies of Defence Civilian Posts thereby depriving the dependents of deceased Civilian Employees. Dependents of deceased Armed Forces Personnel may be recruited on compassionate grounds against the 5% vacancies of the DR posts of Armed Forces and not against the Civilian Quota.
Shri Ajay, Member, Staff Side mentioned that 5% of only group C vacancies are being taken. He requested that vacancies in Group B should also be added for the purpose of earmarking 5% compassionate appointment vacancies.
Decision: Chairman directed that MoD may examine the issue of diversion of vacancies
COMMENTS