A viral message on social media suggests that the Uttar Pradesh government has eliminated reservation entirely from the employment and education sectors. It attributes this development to the Narendra Modi-led government and asserts that reservation won’t apply in the state for the next 25 years. In this article, we aim to fact-check the assertions made in the post.
Claim: Uttar Pradesh government has eliminated reservations entirely from employment and education sectors.
Fact: The Uttar Pradesh government has not abolished reservations within the state. In fact, in its recent recruitment advertisement, the UP Public Service Commission has outlined reservations in compliance with the relevant government regulations. Additionally, the Supreme Court has ruled on multiple occasions that candidates from reserved categories are eligible for seats in the general category. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Had the Uttar Pradesh government issued orders to abolish the reservation policy, it would have undoubtedly garnered significant media attention. However, our search yielded no credible reports supporting such claims. While state governments typically enact reservation policy changes through legislative bills or cabinet ordinances, there is no indication from news sources that the Uttar Pradesh government is considering or planning to abolish reservations at this time.
In fact, the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission, in its most recent recruitment advertisement dated 01 January 2024, for the Combined State/Upper Subordinate Services Examination, clearly specifies that “The reservation for Scheduled Castes of U.P. / Scheduled Tribes of U.P. /Other Backward Class of U.P. / Economically weaker section candidates of U.P. shall be admissible in accordance with the provisions of relevant Govt. Rules.” This indicates that the reservation system is operational and applicable in the state.
In 2019, there were rumours suggesting that the Uttar Pradesh government had abolished caste-based reservations in private medical and dental colleges in the state. However, subsequent clarifications from the relevant authorities revealed that such reservations never existed in the first place. They emphasized that reservation was never a part of the admission process in private-sector medical and dental colleges, as per the existing policy established in 2006.
SC ruled that reserved category candidates are entitled to seats in the general category :
Moreover, the viral post asserts that the Delhi High Court ruled that individuals from reserved categories cannot lay claim to seats in the general category under any circumstances. However, the post lacks details regarding the specific case in which the court purportedly pronounced this judgment.
Nevertheless, there are numerous instances where the Supreme Court has ruled that reserved category candidates, who demonstrate greater merit than general category candidates, are entitled to seats in the general category (here & here).
To sum it up, the reservation system has not been abolished by the Uttar Pradesh government within the state.
