Horizontal quota for ex-Agniveers in direct recruitment

The government has decided to provide the benefit of horizontal reservation in direct recruitment to resident former Agniveers of the state. A policy has been formulated to provide reservation for them in various state services.

Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi has issued a letter in this regard.

According to the policy, ex-Agniveers will get 1 per cent horizontal reservation in Group-B posts related to skill expertise, and 5 per cent in Group-C posts (excluding some specified categories). In the Home Department, a 20 per cent reservation will be given for the posts of police constables. Similarly, 10 per cent reservation has been fixed for the posts of forest guards in the Environment, Forest and Wildlife Department, warders in the Jail Department, and mining guards in the Mines and Geology Department.

To ensure fair distribution among all social categories, reservation will be applied at fixed roster points. Selection will be based on merit, and ex-Agniveers will be selected against reserved posts within their respective vertical categories, said a government spokesperson.

If suitable ex-Agniveers are not available, the vacant posts will be filled by eligible candidates of the category concerned.

The government has also decided that during recruitment for the posts of constables, forest guards, warders, and mining guards, former Agniveers will be exempted from the Physical Efficiency Test, since their physical fitness and military training are already certified. They are already exempted from the Common Eligibility Test (CET) for Group-C recruitment. They will also be exempted from skill-related tests for which they have received training during their military service. However, they will be required to appear in the written examination prescribed by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission for the advertised posts.