State issues order to give orphans 1% reservation in government jobs and education

The orphans in the state can now avail reservation benefit for jobs and education.

The state women and child development department on Monday issued orders to implement one per cent reservation for orphans in government jobs and education. The orders come two months after the cabinet cleared the decision.

It means they will be able to avail the benefits in all recruitment process for government jobs and for all categories — Class I to IV. The vacant posts will be filled up with other candidates, if there are no candidates from the new category.

It will also be applicable to all scholarship schemes, fee reimbursement schemes for professional courses and admissions in government-run hostels, said the government resolution (GR) issued by the state women and child development department on Monday.

A separate category for orphans will be created within the general category, which means the government will not have to increase its caste reservation quota which has already reached 52%.

The benefits will be available to orphans having orphan certificate issued by the state government. The children whose parents are no more and are unaware about their caste can apply to the district women and child development officer for a certificate. The certificate will be given to all orphans residing at government run or private orphanages registered with the state government, the GR states.

The orphans in the state were facing difficulties in getting government jobs in the reserved categories as they were unable to establish their caste.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced that a separate quota would be formed in state government services for them. The announcement was made after he came across the case of a young woman who had passed the Maharashtra Public Services Commission (MPSC) exams but did not qualify for a job as she did not make it to the merit list of the open category.

She had secured sufficient marks to qualify in the reserved categories, but had no caste certificate as she was an orphan. Fadnavis had assured the young woman that the state government will create an independent category to benefit orphans who are unable to give proof of their caste.