Employment and reservation disputes in Madhya Pradesh

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has issued several communications to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav regarding employment and reservation issues in the state.

Initially, Gandhi addressed delays in appointments related to the 27 per cent Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation. He noted that while candidates had cleared examinations, many appointments had been stalled since 2022 due to the ‘87:13’ formula, which left 13 per cent of posts earmarked for the OBC quota on hold. This impasse follows a 2019 decision to increase OBC reservation, which reportedly pushed total state reservations beyond the 50 per cent constitutional ceiling.

Subsequently, Gandhi raised concerns regarding teacher recruitment vacancies, stating that over 100,000 positions in government schools remain vacant. He urged the government to increase recruitment numbers for Class-2 and Class-3 positions to provide permanent employment and improve educational standards. Gandhi also called for the withdrawal of notices issued to candidates participating in protests and hunger strikes, requesting that the government engage with representatives to initiate further counseling and promotion processes.