Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced first of its kind initiative in the country of providing reservation benefits up to one per cent in government jobs and education to orphans.
According to a Government Resolution (GR), the state women and child development department has issued orders to implement the initiative immediately.
The children or persons who cannot trace their parents or any relative and do not know their caste will be eligible for the reservation. Such citizens must have a orphan certificate issued by the state government, the GR further stated.
The decision will help orphans to avail the benefits in every recruitment process for government jobs across all categories. However, the GR states that the vacant posts will be filled up with other candidates if there are none from the new category.
Along with jobs, orphans will be eligible for the reservation in all scholarship schemes, fee reimbursement schemes for professional courses and admissions in government-run hostels.
The Chief Minister has taken the decision after coming across the case of a woman who had passed the Maharashtra Public Services Commission (MPSC) exams but did not get a job due to not getting shortlisted in the merit list of open category. He then announced for a separate quota in state government services for orphans.
Now, according to the GR, the government will create a separate category within the general category for the orphans.
