Priority for Tamil medium students in jobs; special recruitment for Adi Dravidar and STs

Governor Banwarilal Purohit also said the government would urge the Centre to ensure that people from TN were given priority in appointments in Central government and public sector undertakings in TN

File photograph used for representational purposes only

The Tamil Nadu government will ensure that native Tamils, especially those who have studied in Tamil-medium and government schools, are given priority in recruitment for government jobs, said Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Monday

“The requisite changes to undo past orders which are contrary to this intent will be undertaken at the earliest,” said Mr. Purohit in his address to the State Legislative Assembly on Monday. He said the government would also urge the Centre to ensure that people from Tamil Nadu were given priority in appointments in Central government and public sector undertakings in Tamil Nadu.

Pointing out that the reservation policy of Tamil Nadu was 100 years old and had stood the test of time, delivering social justice, Mr Purohit said the 69% reservation policy would be continued and protected. Tamil Nadu would urge the Centre to remove the income criteria for determining the creamy layer for the Union government’s OBC reservation and in the interim, to raise the current income ceiling limit of ₹8 lakh to ₹25 lakh. “This government will also ensure the authority of the State governments to determine the backwardness of different communities is not compromised in any way,” Mr. Purohit added.

The Governor also announced a special recruitment drive to clear the backlog of unfilled vacancies for Adi Dravidars and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs.

Pointing out that the Chief Minister retaining the portfolio of the Welfare of the Differently-abled was proof that the government had accorded importance to the group, Mr. Purohit said the provisions of the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 would be implemented with greater effectiveness. He said the Department of the Differently-abled Welfare would be significantly strengthened with greater field presence to ensure that the benefits of various care, rehabilitation and support programmes reach them.

The Governor said skill training for increasing job opportunities and self-employment activities would be provided to transgender people to improve their lives and livelihoods.

Announcing the government’s commitment to give fillip to sports and enable sportspersons to win medals in the Olympics and other international competitions, Mr. Purohit said recruitment of sportspersons under the sports quota in government departments would be effectively implemented.