Jaipur- A controversy has erupted over the allocation of reserved seats for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the Rajasthan Patwari Direct Recruitment-2025 advertisement issued by the Rajasthan Staff Selection Board (RSSB).

The Dr. Ambedkar Memorial Welfare Society, Rajasthan, has written a letter to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, demanding immediate action to address the alleged irregularities in the reservation process.

In the letter, the society's General Secretary, G.L. Verma, highlighted that the number of seats allocated to SC, ST, and OBC categories in the recruitment notification is significantly lower than the prescribed reservation percentages.

Meanwhile, more seats have been allotted to the Most Backward Classes (MBC) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), which the society claims is a violation of reservation norms and an injustice to the marginalized communities.

According to the recruitment notification, a total of 1,733 positions are to be filled in non-scheduled areas. As per the reservation norms, SC candidates, who are entitled to 16% reservation, should have been allocated 277 seats, but only 229 seats have been allotted.

Similarly, ST candidates, who are entitled to 12% reservation, should have received 208 seats, but only 175 have been allocated. Meanwhile, OBC candidates, who are entitled to 21% reservation, should have been given 364 seats, but only 303 have been allotted.

On the other hand, Most Backward Classes (MBC), who are entitled to 5% reservation, should have received 87 seats, but they have been allocated 165 seats. Similarly, Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), who are entitled to 10% reservation, should have been given 173 seats, but they have been allotted 405 seats. This clearly indicates that seats for SC, ST, and OBC categories have been reduced, while MBC and EWS have been given more seats than their entitled share.

The calculation of reserved seats for recruitment should ideally be based on the updated reservation roster register. Verma highlighted that the Chief Secretary and the Department of Personnel, Rajasthan, had issued clear instructions to all departments to display the updated reservation roster registers on their respective websites to ensure transparency. However, it has been observed that most departments have not complied with this directive.

In the case of this recruitment, the Revenue Board, Ajmer, has also failed to display the updated reservation roster register on its website. The website currently shows the roster only up to the year 2020, even though over 5,000 Patwari positions were filled in 2021. These positions have not yet been included in the updated roster.

Additionally, the reservation roster displayed on the website is based on the entire state, whereas recruitments are being conducted district-wise. Furthermore, the recruitment rules for Patwari positions have not been published on the Revenue Board's website, raising further questions about transparency.

Dr. Jitendra Meena, National Spokesperson of the Bharat Adivasi Party, took to Twitter to question Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. He tweeted, "Why have EWS been given more seats than their reserved limit, while ST, SC, and OBC have been given fewer seats? I want to tell the Dalit, tribal, and backward communities that the BJP is snatching away your reservation. Save your share if you can."

The online application process for Patwari Recruitment-2025 began on February 22 and will continue until March 23. The examination is scheduled for May 1. Candidates have demanded that the reservation rules be strictly followed, and a recalculation of seats be conducted to ensure justice for SC, ST, and OBC categories.

The controversy has put the Rajasthan government and the RSSB under scrutiny, with calls for immediate action to address the alleged irregularities. It remains to be seen how the authorities will respond to the growing demands for transparency and fairness in the recruitment process.