In its bid to expeditiously fill up a large number of vacancies in the state administration, Odisha government today decided to slash the ratio of reservation for the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) category from 27 per cent to 11.25 per cent, official sources said.
The state government's decision in this regard was notified in the form of a resolution issued by the ST and SC Development Department today.
"In case of direct recruitment to the posts and services, there shall be reservation of posts and service in favour of SEBC to extent of 11.25 per cent as an interim measures, till the adjudication of the process reaches its final conclusion," the resolution said.
Earlier, the state government had reserved 27 per cent of posts and services for the SEBC category as per the provision of the Odisha Reservation of Posts and Services (for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes) Act, 2008.
However, the Act was challenged in the Odisha Administrative Tribunal.
The Tribunal, the resolution said, on its order dated December 12, 2013, have quashed the Act and has given a direction to modify advertisement for recruitment to the extent that reservation ratio will not exceed celling limit of 50 per cent in respect of ST, SC, SEBC categories of candidates.
As the reservation in favour of SC is 16.25 per cent and in case of ST is 22.50 per cent, it is necessary to limit the percentage of reservation in favour of SEBC to 11.25 per cent till the final judgement of the High Court comes out, the resolution said.
The resolution further said that while admitting the writ petition, the High Court has given direction to the state government to furnish quantifiable data in respect of SEBC category in the state service. "For collection of such quantifiable data, more time is required," it said.
