Haryana's government has put on hold a rule that gave Scheduled Caste employees reservation in promotions to Group A and Group B posts, choosing to wait for a verdict in a case still pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The case at the centre of the dispute
The dispute traces back to a case titled Kamaljit Singh and others versus State of Haryana. On April 1, 2025, the Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld the state government's policy of granting Scheduled Caste employees 20 percent reservation in promotions. But the court attached a condition: employees who fall under the 'creamy layer' should be kept out of the reservation's scope while the policy is implemented.
Why the government pressed pause
The state government was unwilling to accept that condition, so it filed a Letters Patent Appeal, or LPA, against the High Court's direction, and that appeal is currently pending before the court. Citing this pending appeal, the Human Resources Department has issued fresh instructions that will replace the earlier order issued on December 19, 2023 on the same subject. According to an official statement released on Monday evening, no promotion will now be granted under the reservation benefit provided by the October 7, 2023 policy until the High Court delivers its final verdict.
Roster registers ordered back in April
Earlier in April, the Haryana government had directed all administrative departments, boards, corporations and public sector undertakings to prepare and get verified roster registers for Group A and Group B posts, as part of an effort to properly implement the reservation policy for Scheduled Caste employees. Following that, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi had also made public the formula for applying the reservation.
How Anurag Rastogi's formula worked
Rastogi had explained that if the representation of Scheduled Caste employees in any promotional cadre falls below 20 percent, then vacant posts there would first be considered for promoting a Scheduled Caste employee. On the other hand, in departments or cadres where Scheduled Caste representation already stands at 20 percent or above, promotions would follow the normal rules, meaning no separate reservation benefit would apply there.
With the High Court's final ruling still awaited, the state government has now made it clear that no promotions will be granted on the basis of reservation in Group A and Group B posts until the Punjab and Haryana High Court rules on the pending Letters Patent Appeal.
