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474 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
APPENDIX XXIV
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA RESOLUTION OF 1943 ON COMMUNAL REPRESENTATION OF SCHEDULED CASTES IN THE SERVICES
HOME DEPARTMENT
RESOLUTION New Delhi, the 11th August 1943
No. 23/5/42 -Ests(S). — In pursuance of the undertaking given in the Central Legislative Assembly in 1942, the Government of India have carefully reviewed the policy which they have followed since 1934 in regard to the representation of Depressed Classes, since described in the Government of India Act, 1935 as ‘Scheduled Castes’, in services under their administrative control. In their Resolution No. F. 14/17-B/33, dated the 4th July 1934, the Government of India stated that in the then state of general education among these classes they did not consider that any useful purpose would be served by reserving for them a definite percentage of vacancies. In order, however, to secure fair representation for Scheduled Castes they directed that duly qualified members of these classes might be nominated to a public service even though recruitment to that service was being made by competition. Various measures have been taken since then to secure increased representation of the Scheduled Castes in the public services. The results obtained so far have, however, not been substantial. While the Government of India recognize that this is mainly due to the difficulty of getting suitably qualified candidates, they now consider that the reservation of a definite percentage of vacancies might provide the necessary stimulus to candidates of these castes to obtain better qualifications and thus make themselves eligible for various Government posts and services. It is believed that the grant of age concessions and the reduction of prescribed fees might also help to secure qualified candidates from among members of the Scheduled Castes. The Government of India have accordingly decided to prescribe the rules mentioned in paragraph 4 below.