OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: Bodo intellectuals from various circles, including retired civil servants, have expressed their concern over the neglect in filling up Scheduled Tribe (ST) reserved posts and urged the Government of India to take concrete steps to restore faith in constitutional safeguards and uphold the principles of social justice and equality.
Retired IRS officer Janaklal Basumatary said that tribal MLAs from ST-reserved constituencies have repeatedly raised questions in the Assembly regarding the issue of ST reservation of posts in the state of Assam and in the Sixth Schedule areas. He pointed out that fresh and backlog vacancies are not being filled properly, and that the roster system of the Assam government is not applicable in the Sixth Schedule areas, where the proportion of tribal population is higher than in general areas of the state. He added that while the roster system is applied state-wise for state-governed institutes and central quota (7.5% for ST) for central institutes, greater priority should be given to filling local candidates in the Sixth Schedule areas.
"Our ST brothers and sisters cannot compete in large numbers due to lack of proper guidance during high and secondary schooling for various competitive examinations, unlike urban schools where exams like JEE and NEET are given priority. Our focus should be on establishing premier institutes such as AIIMS and IIM in tribal-dominated areas, alongside Guwahati," he said, adding that tribal students will struggle to excel in education without access to quality institutions in their regions.
Former IAS officer K. Mochchary highlighted the low representation of SC, ST, and OBC communities in India's premier All India Services. He cited parliamentary data showing that between 2020 and 2024, 92% of IAS officers, 90% of IPS officers, and 82% of IFS officers belonged to the general category, with SC, ST, and OBC members accounting for only 8.01%, 10.16%, and 17.28%, respectively. Of the total authorized strength of 15,169 officers, 2,834 posts (18.6%) remain vacant.
The number of officers in IAS from SC, ST, and OBC communities is 135, 67, and 245 respectively; in IPS, 141, 71, and 231; and in IFS, 95, 48, and 231. Mochchary noted that the IFS has the highest vacancy rate at 32.2%, while the IPS has 9.9% posts vacant. He said this reflects disappointingly low representation of SC, ST, and OBC members in the All India Services, which play pivotal roles in administration, governance, and policy formulation.
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