The Odisha government has framed rules to grant 10 per cent reservations for ex-Agniveers in the state’s Uniform Services. The General Administration and Public Grievances Department has issued a notification regarding this initiative.
Exercising the powers granted by Article 309 of the Constitution, Odisha Governor Raghubar Das framed rules for reserving positions in uniformed services and setting age limits for retired Agniveers in the state, according to a notification from the General Administration and Public Grievances (GA&PG) department.
“Retired Agniveers are defined as individuals who have completed four years of service in the armed forces under the Agniveers Recruitment Scheme of the Government of India. A Retired Soldier is defined according to the Retired Soldiers (Employment in State Civil Service and Posts) Regulations, 1985,” the Rules stated.
The term ‘Uniform Service’ includes police, forest, forestry, fire services, or any other services as designated by the state government from time to time.
“10 per cent horizontal reservation shall be allocated for retired Agniveers in uniform service for all ‘C’ and ‘D’ category posts within the State that are filled through direct recruitment. This reservation is in addition to the standard 10 per cent reservation for retired servicemen,” it added.
It is important to note that candidates must meet the minimum qualifications outlined for the position according to the relevant recruitment regulations as of the date of issue of the Agniveers Certificate. This reservation is supplementary to the existing reservations for ex-servicemen.
The age limit for retired Agniveers applying for direct recruitment to all ‘C’ and ‘D’ category uniform service positions in the state will be increased by 3 years, as stated in the rules.
Additionally, the GA&PG department’s notification specified that “notwithstanding anything in the relevant regulations governing the recruitment process and service survey of the Uniform Services, retired Agniveers shall be exempt from the physical fitness test.”
It is important to note that the state government, led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved the creation of the Odisha Ex-Agniveers (Recruitment to Uniform Services) Rules, 2024, in September of this year. This new framework reserves 10% of seats for ex-Agniveers in the uniform service.
