Punjab Approves 33% Reservation For Women In State Civil Services

The state cabinet approved the Punjab Civil Services (Reservation of Posts for Women) Rules, 2020, to provide the reservation for women for direct recruitment to posts in government jobs as well as in boards and corporations in Group A, B, C and D posts, an official statement said.

The Punjab Cabinet also gave its nod to a bill to replace the ''Punjab State Vigilance Commission Ordinance, 2020'' which will be introduced in the next Assembly session.

The move has been viewed to be in line with chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh's vision, who had also previously steered the constitution of a similar commission back in 2006.

When the Akalis came to power in 2007, they scrapped the Commission. The Commission was established as an independent body in order to supervise the functioning of the Vigilance Bureau and all departments of the state government. The main objective behind this was to provide a fair and transparent administration.

The Punjab State Vigilance Commission shall review the progress of investigations conducted by the Vigilance Bureau and cases of prosecution sanction pending with various other departments of the Government. It has also been entrusted with the responsibility to inquire about any investigation which is made in respect of allegations under the Prevention of Corruption Act and other relevant offences against public servants.

Apart from this, Dr BR Ambedkar SC Post Matric Scholarship Scheme will also be launched. It will be effective from academic session 2021-22. This new scheme will facilitate SC students to pursue higher education in government and private institutions.