"Diversity Gap Exposed: SC, ST, OBC Employees Underrepresented in Government Roles, DoPT Report Reveals"

SC, ST, and OBC Employees Dominate Sanitation Workforce Across Union Ministries

Recent reports from the Department of Persoel and Training (DoPT) have revealed that workers from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) constitute a significant portion of the sanitation workforce within 80 Union ministries or departments. In the year 2024, these marginalized groups accounted for 66% of the sanitation workers employed, highlighting a prevailing trend within the government sector.

Among the total of 3252 lakh employees, SC, ST, and OBC individuals represented 52% of the workforce. Specifically, in Group C positions, these groups comprised 66% of the 40,737 safai karamcharis or sanitation workers employed in the ministries and departments covered by the report. The breakdown further reveals that SC, ST, and OBC workers constituted 36.75%, 8.18%, and 21.15% of the safai karamcharis, respectively.

For other Group C roles excluding safai karamcharis, SC, ST, and OBC employees made up 53% of the total workforce. Moving up the hierarchy, in Group A positions, these groups accounted for 14.20%, 6.54%, and 19.14% of the total 1.19 lakh employees, respectively. Similarly, in Group B roles, SC, ST, and OBC employees comprised 16.20%, 7.63%, and 21.95% of the total 3.64 lakh employees.

According to the government's reservation policy, SCs, STs, and OBCs are entitled to 15%, 7.5%, and 27% reservation in direct recruitment on an all-India basis through open competition. This policy aims to promote inclusivity and diversity in the workforce.

Previous DoPT reports have consistently indicated a similar trend, with SC, ST, and OBC individuals comprising a significant portion of safai karamcharis in various ministries and departments. In 2022, 60% of these workers hailed from these communities across 75 ministries/departments, and in 2021, the percentage stood at 59% in 72 ministries/departments.

The issue of manual scavenging, predominantly involving individuals from Scheduled Castes, has been a concerning issue. While specific studies on the caste backgrounds of manual scavengers are lacking, government data indicates a high representation of SC individuals in this occupation. Under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, a significant number of manual scavengers have been identified, with a majority belonging to SCs.

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