66% sanitation workers in Central govt. from SC, ST, OBC groups: DoPT report, Pg14

Key Highlights:

• Over 66% of Group C safai karmacharis in the Union government are from SC, ST, and OBC categories, as per the DoPT's 2024-25 report.
• As of January 1, 2024, SCs held 14.2% of Group A posts, STs 6.54%, and OBCs 19.14% in Union Ministries and departments.
• Overall representation among 32.52 lakh Union government employees shows SCs at 16.84%, STs at 8.7%, and OBCs at 26.32%.
• The DoPT mandates reservation of 15% for SCs, 7.5% for STs, 27% for OBCs, and 10% for EWS in direct recruitment.

Detailed Insights:

• The DoPT's 2024-25 report provides comprehensive data on the representation of SCs, STs, and OBCs across Union government posts.
• In Group C posts (excluding sanitation workers), representation includes 16.75% SCs, 8.94% STs, and 27.29% OBCs.
• Group B posts consist of 16.2% SCs, 7.63% STs, and 21.95% OBCs, indicating varying levels of representation across different groups.
• Compared to 2018-19 figures, the overall representation of SC staffers decreased, ST staffers increased slightly, and OBC staffers saw the highest increase.
• The report highlights a data gap, as the DoPT had been accounting for partial data on Union government employees since 2019 due to delayed data submission from Ministries and Departments.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Scheduled Castes (SC): Officially designated groups of disadvantaged castes recognized by the Indian Constitution.
• Scheduled Tribes (ST): Officially designated groups of indigenous communities recognized by the Indian Constitution.
• Other Backward Classes (OBC): A collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes which are educationally or socially disadvantaged.
• Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): A category of individuals or households that have an income below a certain threshold, set by the government.