Punjab announces 33% quota for women in government jobs

Captain Amarinder Singh government in Punjab has taken a big step towards women empowerment. The state government has approved 33 percent women reservation in government jobs. The decision was taken in a meeting of the Punjab cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.The state cabinet approved the Punjab Civil Services (Reservation of Posts for Women) Rules, 2020, so as to provide reservation to women for direct recruitment to posts in government gobs. The provision will also allow recruitment to boards and corporations in Group A, B, C and D posts.

The decision makes Punjab the second state to give reservation to women in government jobs. Bihar in 2016 had formally given 35 percent reservation to women in all government jobs in the state. The state Cabinet has also amended the Punjab Civil Secretariat (State Service Class-III) Rules, 1976 for the formation of a legal clerk cadre in the Punjab Civil Secretariat in order to pursue court cases / legal matters in a timely and effective manner.  According to an official spokesperson, this will be done by removing 100 posts from the general clerk cadre, which will ensure that there is no financial impact. Apart from this, CM Amarinder Singh has also approved the State Employment Scheme, 2020-22. The scheme will give employment to more than one lakh youth in the state. Immediate appointments will be made in order to fill vacant posts in government departments.