The Hindu Business Line : Kerala to amend rules to retain quota for BCs

THE Kerala Government has decided to amend the relevant rules to ensure that reservation for backward communities in Government departments and other autonomous bodies does not lapse at any cost.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, which discussed the Justice Narendran Commission report on reservation for backward communities.

The Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, told newspersons after the Cabinet meeting that the State Subordinate Service Rules would be amended so that the reservation benefit of a particular community would not go to others in the absence of an eligible candidate from the former.

If a suitable candidate is not found for selection to a post from any particular community or a group of communities, the vacancy would be kept open, notified separately as an unfilled vacancy for that community or group of communities for that year and would be filled by direct recruitment.

The Justice Narendran Commission, in its report, had said that representation of backward communities in Government offices and other autonomous bodies was less than that of other communities.

The Chief Minister said that the Public Service Commission would publish separate lists of candidates who are eligible to be recruited on open competition basis and on reservation basis.

A monitoring committee, on the lines of the committee for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, will be formed for the backward communities. Also, a permanent committee would be constituted for redefining the reservation for the backward communities.

On reservation in educational institutions, Mr Chandy said that 20 per cent seats would be reserved for students from backward communities in arts and science colleges. Besides, 10 per cent of the seats would be kept aside for students from forward communities who are below the poverty line.

The Cabinet also decided to appoint Mr Mohammed Riyazuddin as the Chief Secretary in place of Mr M. Vijayanunni who is retiring on January 31.