Job share of minorities in central government departments and central armed forces is less than their share of population mainly due to low literacy level and lack of requisite knowledge, Government told the Rajya Sabha today.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also stated that necessary guidelines have been issued in order to ensure that there is no possible discrimination against minorities during recruitments.
The highest percentage of minorites is in Assam Rifles, where they constitute 16.6 percent of the total strength.
This is followed by 11.69 percent in Border Security Force (BSF), 9.24 percent in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 9.14 percent in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), 7.02 percent Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and 6.18 percent in Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBP).
"Recruitment of minorties is facilitated through affirmative actions. Necessary guidelines have been issued in order to ensure that there is no possible discrimination against minorities during recruitments.
"However, low representation of minorities in the Government jobs is mainly due to low literacy level, lack of requisite knowledge etc," Naqvi said replying to a question regarding shortage of adequate minority manpower in state police/central police and in other police organizations.
Figures given in reply to a separate question showed that the recruitment ratio of minorities in central ministries, departments and organizations is also not proportionate with their population but it has increased in last financial year (2013-14) to 8.53 percent from 6.92 percent in 2012-13 and 6.24 percent in 2011-12.
It was the highest at 10.18 percent in 2010-11 and 7.28 percent in 2009-10.
Number wise, the total recruitment of minorities in last five years was the maximum in 2010-11. It was then 35,692.
In 2009-10, it was 10,595, which rose to 18,379 in 2011-12, 22,839 in 2012-13 and 24,783 in 2013-14.
Naqvi said that the data of the last five years indicates that the share of minorities in yearly recruitment in ministries/departments of central government organizations is "less than their share in population".
He said that the DoPT has issued guidelines to all appointing authorities for giving special consideration to minorities in recruitment and has also issued instructions to all appointing authorities to scrupulously observe guidelines.
