Chhattisgarh clears 10% quota rules for former Agniveers

Raipur, Sep 30 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh cabinet on Wednesday approved rules for implementing 10 per cent reservation for former Agniveer soldiers in direct recruitment to Class III posts in state services, officials said.

The cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai at Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhavan here, a public relations department official here said.

The cabinet gave nod to the 'Chhattisgarh Public Service Former Agniveer Soldiers Recruitment Rules, 2026', providing the framework for implementing the reservation already approved for former Agniveers, he said.

The state government had earlier approved 10 per cent reservation for former Agniveer soldiers in Class III posts in state civil services.

Under the provision, former Agniveers will be eligible for reservation in posts including constable in the Police Department, forest guard in the Forest and Climate Change Department and jail prahari in the Prisons Department, he said.

The newly-approved recruitment rules specify appointment and service conditions, recruitment criteria, reservation provisions and the selection process for implementing quota for former Agniveers, the official said.

The cabinet also gave post-facto approval to the revised Guest Lecturer Policy-2026, issued after administrative approval, for government colleges and universities in the state, he said.

The revised policy clarifies that if two candidates belonging to the same category secure equal marks in the merit list, preference will be given to a candidate who is a domicile of Chhattisgarh, he said.

It also provides that under the maximum 30 marks allotted for teaching experience, five marks will be awarded to candidates who have completed at least five months of teaching in an academic session at a state university, in addition to experience in government colleges, he said.

The earlier policy did not clearly provide for the benefit of teaching experience gained at state universities, he said.

The cabinet also decided to provide displaced guest lecturers from state universities, along with those from government colleges, an opportunity for reappointment against vacant posts by taking into account their previous work experience, he said.

The provisions relating to the duties, duration of engagement and casual leave of guest lecturers and other guest academic staff have also been clarified, he said.

The cabinet also approved an order issued by the Commercial Tax Department to reimburse cinema halls an amount equivalent to the state goods and services tax (SGST) payable on admission for screenings of the film "Hanuman Ansh", he said.

The decision followed Chief Minister Sai's announcement on September 10 that the film would be made tax-free in the state, the official said.