Chandigarh, July 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission has asked the School Education Department to halt the ongoing recruitment process for lecturers, citing serious deficiencies in records related to the implementation of the state’s reservation policy.
Commission Chairman Jasvir Singh Garhi said the directive was issued after scrutiny of documents submitted by the School Education Department in response to information sought by the Commission. The department had furnished records through a communication dated July 14, but the Commission found several key documents either missing or incomplete.
According to Garhi, the department failed to provide selection lists for direct recruitment to lecturer posts from 1990 to 2025 indicating merit marks. Officials informed the Commission that the records were old and would require nearly two months to compile, raising concerns about the basis on which roster registers had been prepared.
The Commission also noted that instead of verified copies of the original roster registers for the subjects covered under the current recruitment advertisement, the department submitted computerized records showing the names of serving employees, which it said did not conform to prescribed rules.
In addition, copies of no-objection certificates (NOCs) or approvals issued by the Welfare Department for de-reservation or carry-forward of reserved posts meant for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes were not furnished.
Garhi said the available records indicated large-scale violations of the Punjab government’s reservation policy and instructions governing the preparation and maintenance of roster registers. Such lapses, he said, could adversely affect the constitutional rights of Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, women and other reserved categories.
He further observed that violations of the reservation policy could also fall within the ambit of offences defined under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Pending submission of the original roster registers, merit-based selection lists and relevant approvals regarding carry-forward or de-reservation of reserved posts, the Commission has advised the Education Department to keep further stages of the lecturer recruitment process on hold.
The Commission has also sought an action taken report from the department by August 3.
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