Rajasthan allows 1% MBC quota in judiciary, eases age norms

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CM Ashok Gehlot. File Photo

Jaipur, December 30: After approving amendments to the existing Rajasthan Judicial Service Rules, 2010, the Congress government has extended 1 per cent quota benefit to members of the Most Backward Classes (MBCs) in state judicial services, besides relaxing the minimum and maximum age limit for general category applicants.

The decision on quota will benefit candidates belonging to five communities, including the Gurjars.

The Ashok Gehlot Cabinet, which met yesterday, approved a proposal to make amendments to Rules 12 and 17 by which the minimum age relaxation for general category students/applicants had been reduced from 23 to 21 years and the maximum limit raised from 35 to 40 years, a state official said today.

Similarly, the Cabinet approved the maximum age relaxation of 10 years for differently-abled general category candidates, 13 years for differently-abled OBCs, and 15 years for differently-abled SC/ST candidates.

The quota benefit is likely to be shared by five castes and six sub-castes of Gurjars, Rebari, Banjara, Raika, and Gadariya-Lohar. The reservation benefit of either 1 or 5 per cent to MBCs, however, continues to hang fire as the previous two (BJP and Congress) governments have failed to resolve the issue despite adopting new reservation Bills (amendments) in the Assembly.

The Gurjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti led by Col Kirori Singh Bhainsla has been up in arms over the pending demands.