Government relaxes reservation rules for jobs to ex-servicemen

Indian Military Veterans

In what is welcome news for lakhs of ex-servicemen, the government has removed a major hurdle to their post-retirement employment and allowed them to avail of the benefit of reservation in all civil jobs they apply.

Upon discharge from the armed forces, an ex-serviceman normally applies for more than one job. However, in case of joining any civil employment due to early declaration of results or selection, the ex-serviceman is not entitled to the benefit of reservation for any subsequent job.

The issue that the rules were affecting the chances of ex-servicemen in getting suitable employment was brought to the notice of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which held a consultation in the matter with the department of ex-servicemen in the Defence Ministry.

“It has now been decided that if an ex-serviceman applies for various vacancies before joining any civil employment, hecan avail of the benefit of reservation as an ex-serviceman for any subsequent employment,” said a DoPT order.

However, to avail of this benefit, an ex-serviceman, as soon as he joins any civil employment, should submit a declaration or undertaking with the employer concerned about the date-wise details of application for various vacancies for which he has applied before joining the initial civil employment, it said.

This benefit would be available only in respect of vacancies which are filled on direct recruitment and wherever reservation applies to ex-servicemen, DoPT said, amending the government’s 24-year-old instructions in this regard.

There are about 20 lakh ex-servicemen, according to the Defence Ministry.

The benefit of reservation for ex-servicemen is available at 10 per cent of the vacancies in Group C posts and on 20 per cent of the vacancies in Group D posts in all central civil services and posts.

Benefit of reservation has been extended at 10 per cent of the vacancies in the posts up to the level of Assistant Commandant in all paramilitary forces which are filled by direct recruitment, according to the rules.

The government’s instructions issued on May 2, 1985, say that once an ex-serviceman has joined the government on the civil side, after availing of the re-employment benefits given to him as an ex-serviceman, his ex-serviceman status for the purpose of re-employment in government jobs would cease.

It was also decided that on his joining civil employment, he would be deemed to be a civil employee and would accordingly be entitled to only such benefits, like relaxation of age, etc., as open to civil employees in the normal course.

However, on November 7, 1989, it was clarified that the rules shall not apply to those ex-servicemen who have been re-employed or are re-employed by private companies, autonomous bodies, public sector undertakings and government offices on casual, contract or temporary ad-hoc basis and who can be removed from such service at any time by their employer.