Adopting some new provisions in civil service, the government proposed 45 percent reservation for Women, Dalits, Janajatis and other disadvantaged groups in new Civil Service Act tabled at the parliament.

State Minister for General Administration Dhramanath Prasad Shah tabled a Bill in the House, which has also made a provision for open competition at the under-secretary and joint-secretary levels.

The government has proposed 45 percent quota for women, Janajatis and Dalits, Madhesis and disabled to make civil service inclusive, according to clause 10 (6) of the Bill. The quota will exist for the next 20 years but separate examinations will be conducted to give them chances for jobs.

However, if people cannot claim such quotas in the same year of vacancy, the government can fill the posts through normal ways and other free competitors can fight for the posts.

The government has the authority to appoint women in certain posts if the posts are suitable for them.

This is the first time the government has adopted quota system. The Bill is to amend Civil Service Act 2049 and to repeal the Civil Service Ordinance promulgated by the king-led government last year.

Talking to Nepalnews, former Chief Secretary Dr. Bimal Prasad Koirala has said that the reservation will have positive impact in the bureaucracy as the bureaucracy is not inclusive, but added that the reservation should not continue for a long time.

“The provision of providing reservations to Women, Dalits, Janajatis and other disadvantaged groups is positive, as their representation is very low in the civil service, but it should be only a short term strategy and should not be continued for long,” he added.

When asked about the reservation system that is getting criticism in India and how it will be good in Nepal, Dr. Koirala said, “As the Indian bureaucracy is more inclusive there is no need of reservation but being less inclusive, there is need of some reservation in our bureaucracy.”

He also said that the 45 percent reservation is just.

According to cover story of India Today (July 17, 2006) the issue of providing reservation to the other backward classes (OBCs) in Indian universities received widespread criticism and the government added a rider that expansion should be done without impacting them and added 54 percent additional seats to any institution.

The recommendation of the first backward class commission formed in 1953 to provide 70 percent reservation of seats in all technical and professional institutions apart from substantial reservations for government jobs was rejected by the then government led by Jawaharlal Nehru terming the move as an attempt to divide the nation on the basis of castes.