Latest news with #Reservation
New Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Ladakh leaders demand statehood, Sixth Schedule status in next round of talks with Centre
SRINAGAR: Ongoing dialogue between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ladakh leaders is set to reach a decisive stage, as key demands for statehood and 6th Schedule status take centre stage in the upcoming round of talks. Following the introduction of a domicile policy for the Union Territory (UT), stakeholders in Ladakh see this phase of negotiations as critical to securing greater autonomy and constitutional safeguards. 'The next round of talks with the HPC of MHA, chaired by the Union MoS Home, would mainly focus on our demand for statehood with legislature and 6th Schedule status for Ladakh,' said Chering Dorje, executive member of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), to this newspaper. The last round of talks on 27 May was termed successful, as it led to the introduction of the domicile policy for the Ladakh UT, with a 15-year eligibility timeline starting from 2019. Following the 27 May discussions, the President also promulgated the Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, to reserve 85 per cent of jobs in the region. 'It will be for the first time that our demand for statehood and 6th Schedule status for Ladakh will be directly discussed with the Centre,' Dorje added. 'These are our main demands and we won't budge from it.' He, however, noted that unfortunately, they had not yet received an invitation for the next round of talks. 'We were hopeful of a meeting this month, but so far we have not received any invitation,' Dorje said.
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
In first, SC introduces quotas for court staff
For the first time in its history, the Supreme Court of India has introduced a formal policy of reservation in the direct appointment and promotion for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) staff working in the top court. The move, which took effect on June 23, 2025, marks a landmark shift in the internal administration of the apex judiciary, long seen as conservative on issues of affirmative action within its own institutional structures. CJI BR Gavai (PTI) To be sure, the reservation is not for judges. The policy covers a wide swathe of posts, including registrars, senior personal assistants, assistant librarians, junior court assistants and chamber attendants. The model roster classifies all employees under three categories: SC, ST and unreserved. A circular issued on June 24 to all Supreme Court employees and registrars announced the policy's implementation and outlined the modalities for its execution. 'As per the directions of the Competent Authority, it is to notify for the information of all concerned that the Model Reservation Roster and Register has been uploaded on the Supnet (Court's internal email network) and it is made effective from June 23, 2025,' the circular stated. The document also invited objections from employees in case of inaccuracies in the roster or register and asked them to direct such representations to the Registrar (Recruitment). This significant policy shift has come during the tenure of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, the second person from a Scheduled Caste background to rise to the country's highest judicial post. That the approval came under his stewardship adds both symbolic and substantive weight to the development, especially in a judiciary often criticised for underrepresentation of marginalised groups both on and off the bench. 'All government institutions and many high courts already have provisions for reservation for SCs and STs. So, why should the Supreme Court be an exception? The Supreme Court has delivered several landmark judgments on affirmative action, and as an institution, it had to apply it. Our actions must reflect our principles,' CJI Gavai told HT, reflecting on the rationale behind the internal reform. The CJI added: 'I have always maintained that equality and representation are not competing ideals but complementary forces that drive India's constitutional vision forward. Affirmative action is not an exception to equality but integral to its realisation. The endevaour sets the tone for a more socially responsive judiciary within its administrative remit.' As per the circular and the model roster now in effect, SC employees will receive a 15% quota and ST employees a 7.5% quota in promotions. These figures align with the central government's reservation norms for direct recruitment. However, their application in the Supreme Court for promotional advancement is without precedent. The development is a landmark moment, not just for the apex court's employees but for affirmative action discourse in India's highest institutions. Notably, it has come during the term of a CJI who has lived the experience of social disadvantage and now helms the country's top judicial institution, While the move may appear administrative on the surface, it also addresses a long-standing and politically sensitive issue in India -- the denial or deferral of promotion benefits to SC/ST employees due to legal hurdles and the court's precedents on the matter. Reservation in promotion has been a fraught subject for decades. In particular, a landmark 2006 Constitution bench judgment in M Nagaraj Vs Union of India laid down stringent criteria for extending such benefits, including quantifiable data showing backwardness of the group, data on inadequacy of their representation in public employment and compliance with administrative efficiency. These conditions made implementation difficult. In the years that followed, many state-level reservation-in-promotion policies were struck down by high courts for failing to meet the Nagaraj benchmarks. In 2018, the Supreme Court revisited the issue in Jarnail Singh Vs Lacchmi Narain Gupta, relaxing one of the three conditions -- governments no longer needed to prove backwardness of SC/STs. However, it upheld the other two: quantifiable data on representation and administrative efficiency. It also introduced the exclusion of the 'creamy layer' (the relatively well-off among SC/ST groups) from reservation benefits. This compounded the Centre's dilemma. The Union government, backed by some states, repeatedly sought dilution of these requirements, citing administrative roadblocks and stagnation in service for thousands of SC/ST employees. It also argued that reservations should match the community's population proportion, echoing the Supreme Court's 1995 ruling in RK Sabharwal Vs State of Punjab. But in January 2022, the apex court refused to soften the conditions, emphasising that adequacy of representation cannot be gauged with reference to overall workforce numbers or community population share. 'Before providing for reservation in promotions to a cadre, the state is obligated to collect quantifiable data regarding inadequacy of representation of SCs and STs…Collection of information… cannot be with reference to the entire service or class/group but should be relatable to the grade/category of posts to which promotion is sought,' the 2022 ruling held. The court also made it clear that only contemporaneous data, and not old or outdated statistics, would suffice. Against this backdrop, the Supreme Court's internal adoption of a reservation-in-promotion policy clearly acknowledges the institutional need for representation within the top court's own administrative machinery. By establishing a model roster and maintaining an updated register, the court has now taken the first step in ensuring internal accountability in promotions. Moreover, it may serve as a template for other constitutional bodies, such as the Election Commission of India or the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, which face similar constraints in implementing promotional reservations without running afoul of court rulings.
News18
30-06-2025
- Business
- News18
Indian Railways Fare Hike To Be Effective From July 1; Check How Much Will Train Ticket Price Increase
Last Updated: Fares for non-AC coaches will rise by 1 paisa per kilometre, while AC classes will see an increase of 2 paise per kilometre. The Indian Railways is set to implement a nationwide passenger fare hike for second class passengers on long distance trains starting from July 1, 2025. This will be the first increase since the last fare hike in 2020. The maximum fare hike, Indian Railways stated, will be 2 paise per kilometre. Fares for non-AC coaches will rise by 1 paisa per kilometre, while AC classes will see an increase of 2 paise per kilometre. However, there will be no fare changes for suburban trains and ordinary second-class travel for distances up to 500 kilometre. For second-class journeys exceeding 500 kilometre, fares will increase by only 0.5 paisa per kilometre. Monthly season tickets (MSTs) will remain unaffected, providing relief to daily commuters. There will be no changes in fares for Monthly Season Tickets (MSTs) and Suburban train fares. Additionally, other charges like the reservation fee and superfast surcharge will remain unchanged. Other Changes In addition to the fare hike, Indian Railways will tighten rules for Tatkal ticket bookings. Starting July 1, 2025, only passengers who have completed Aadhaar verification will be allowed to book Tatkal tickets via the IRCTC website or mobile app. From July 15, 2025, an OTP-based Aadhaar authentication will become mandatory during the Tatkal booking process. This move aims to increase transparency and reduce fraudulent bookings. Indian Railways is also working on preparing the final reservation chart eight hours prior to a train's departure, replacing the previous norm of four hours. This significant shift aims to enhance transparency and passenger convenience. The move, currently under pilot testing, is expected to benefit waitlisted passengers by giving them additional time to make alternate plans if their tickets remain unconfirmed. Alongside the early charting initiative, Indian Railways plans to launch a modernised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) by December 2025. Developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), the upgrade will streamline ticketing operations and enhance user experience. Once implemented, the upgraded PRS will be able to process over 1.5 lakh ticket bookings per minute, marking a nearly fivefold increase from the current capacity of 32,000 bookings per minute. First Published: June 30, 2025, 17:09 IST
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Reservation chart may soon be prepared 8 hours before train departure
Among the series of measures proposed to ease ticket booking experience and passenger movement, the Indian Railways is mulling to prepare reservation charts eight hours before the departure. This move will reduce uncertainties for passengers with waitlist tickets. The passengers will get the first update on waitlist status well in advance.(Unsplash/Representational Image) Under this, for trains departing before 14:00 hours, the chart will be prepared the previous day at 21:00 hours. Currently, the reservation chart is prepared four hours before the departure of the train, which leads to uncertainty for passengers with waitlist tickets. The passengers will get the first update on waitlist status well in advance. It will benefit passengers travelling from remote locations or suburbs of major cities for catching long distance trains. It will also provide more time to make alternative arrangements in case the wait list is not confirmed. Meanwhile, Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the upgradation of the passenger reservation system on Sunday. The project has been executed for the last few months by CRIS. Under the upgraded PRS, only the authenticated users will be able to book Tatkal tickets on IRCTC website, beginning July 1, 2025. Further, Tatkal ticket will require OTP-based authentication using Adhaar of any other government verified documents or government id, available at DigiLocker account stated by the railways. Upgraded PRS system The upgraded PRS (Passenger Reservation System) is designed to be agile, flexible, and scalable, capable of handling ten times the current load. It will significantly boost ticket booking capacity, enabling over 1.5 lakh bookings per minute, an almost fivefold increase from the existing 32,000 tickets per minute. The new system features a multilingual, user-friendly interface for both booking and enquiries. Users will be able to specify their seat preferences and view a fare calendar. Additionally, the PRS now includes integrated support for Divyangjan, students, patients, and other special user categories (With ANI inputs)
India.com
29-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
Indian Railways To Now Prepare Reservation Charts 8 Hours Before Train Departure
In a major move to enhance passenger convenience, Indian Railways on Sunday announced that it has decided to prepare the reservation chart 8 hours before the train's departure, instead of the current practice of 4 hours. This change is aimed at reducing the uncertainty faced by passengers, especially those with waitlisted tickets. The decision was taken after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the progress of reforms in the ticket booking system. He stressed that the entire ticketing experience should be smart, transparent, and efficient, keeping passenger convenience at the centre. As per the new plan, for trains that depart before 2 p.m., the reservation chart will be prepared the night before at 9 p.m. This change will be implemented in a phased manner to ensure a smooth transition without any disruption. The move will especially benefit passengers coming from remote areas or the suburbs of big cities, as they will now get more time to check their ticket status and make alternative travel arrangements if needed. Passengers with waitlist tickets will get early updates on their ticket confirmation status, making their travel plans more predictable. Along with this, Indian Railways is also working on upgrading its Passenger Reservation System (PRS), which is expected to be completed by December 2025. The new PRS is being developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and will be capable of handling ten times the current load. Once implemented, it will allow booking of over 1.5 lakh tickets per minute and handle more than 40 lakh ticket enquiries per minute. The upgraded PRS will offer a user-friendly and multilingual interface, with new features such as fare calendars, seat preference options, and integrated support for Divyangjan, students, and patients. Additionally, starting from July 1, only authenticated users will be allowed to book Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC website and mobile app. By the end of July, Tatkal bookings will require OTP-based authentication using Aadhaar or any other verified government ID linked to the user's DigiLocker.
