Are the different socio-economic groups adequately represented in governance?
23 Apr, 2014Reply to an application filed by the Chennai based activist E Muralidharan has revealed the data of officers of different socio-economic groups in the different ministries of the central government. The data provided by the Union Ministry of Personnel shows the composition of the Group A officers in different policy level positions in governance.
Out of the 51 group A officers posted in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) -
- none of the officers belong to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes.
- only two Group A officers belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC)
- the remaining 49 belonged to the Open Competition category.
The President’s Secretariat has -
- three SC and one ST group A officer
- no OBC officer
- remaining 27 Group A officials belonged to the Open General category.
In the Planning Commission -
- there are 27 Group A officers belonging to SC category
- there are 18 group A officers belonging to ST category
- the remaing 11 officers belong to the OBC category.
In the Ministry of Minority Affairs -
- there are 7 Group A dalit officers
- 1 group A officer belonging to OBC category
- remaining 16 Group A officials belonged to the Open General category
Ministry of Social Justice had -
- one OBC Group A officer
- five SC Group A officers
- 4 ST Group A officers
- remaining 61 officers belong to Open General category.
Ministry of Telecommunications had only 7.13 % OBCs in the Group A level while those belonging to the open general category was 71.23%. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs did not have any OBC officer. Vice President Hamid Ansari’s Secretariat has five group A officers all of which are non-Dalits.
The RTI applicant has pointed to the poor representation of SC/ST and OBCs and has criticised the role of the Department of Personnel for not fulfilling the constitutional mandate.