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Above the 15%, below the top: SCs across Groups A, B and C

How are Scheduled Castes represented in each group of Central Government posts, against the 15% reserved for them in direct recruitment by open competition?

By The Dalit ProjectUPDATED OCTOBER 9, 2026

Key takeaways

  • SCs held 14.20% of Group A posts, below the 15% reserved for them in direct recruitment by open competition, and above it in every other group. Exhibit 1
  • Of 547,822 SC employees counted, 3.1% were in Group A and 83.4% in Group C (excluding Safai Karamchari). Exhibit 2
  • Across all groups, SCs were 16.84% of the 3,252,152 employees counted, STs 8.70% and OBCs 26.32%. Exhibit 3
  • Outside Safai Karamchari posts, SCs held 16.59% of Central Government posts; their share of the population in Census 2011 was 16.6%. Exhibit 4
  • SCs held 36.75% of Safai Karamchari posts in Central Government and 52.92% in public sector banks and other financial institutions; in the CPSEs, whose table has no sanitation category, their share was 14.68% among unskilled workers and 16.28% among managers and executives. Exhibit 6

Employees in the posts and services of the Central Government, by group (A, B, and C split into Safai Karamchari (sanitation worker) posts and the rest; the groups classify Central Government civil posts, Group A being the highest), and how many of them are Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), as on 1 January 2024, as the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) reports it from 80 Ministries and Departments. Beside it, from answers in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s Parliament: SC employees by group in public sector banks and other financial institutions (31 January 2020), by level in Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs, 31 March 2020), and in all groups of the Railways (1 January 2025); the SC officers in the senior posts of the Government of India, Joint Secretary and above, filled under the Central Staffing Scheme; the SC share of sewer and septic tank workers validated under the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE); and the records of sanitation work that keep no caste.

of Group A posts held by SCs, as on 1 January 2024
14.20%
of all 3,252,152 Central Government employees counted were SCs
16.84%

  1. Exhibit 1

    SCs held 14.20% of Group A posts, below the 15% reserved for them in direct recruitment by open competition; in every other group their share was above it, from 16.20% to 36.75%

    SC employees as a share of all employees in each group of Central Government posts, %, as on 1 January 2024, against the 15% reservation (dashed) and the SC share of the population in Census 2011, 16.6% (dotted). Groups below 15% are in the accent colour.

    15% reserved16.6% of population (Census 2011)

    1. Group A14.2%
    2. Group B16.2%
    3. Group C (excluding Safai Karamchari)16.8%
    4. Group C (Safai Karamchari)36.8%
    5. All groups16.8%

    Note: The 15% is the reservation for SCs in direct recruitment on an all India basis by open competition (para 4.3). It is a yardstick here, not a target for every group: recruitment to Group C and the erstwhile Group D from a locality or region follows each State or Union Territory’s SC population (para 4.4). The 16.6% is the SC share of India’s population in Census 2011, the latest count; it is out of date and will change with Census 2027.

    Source: Department of Personnel and Training, Annual Report 2024-25, Chapter 4, Para 4.8, data as on 1 January 2024; reservation from para 4.3. Population share: Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 9 Oct 2026.

  2. Exhibit 2

    Of the 547,822 SC employees counted, 16,920 (3.1%) were in Group A and 456,925 (83.4%) in Group C (excluding Safai Karamchari)

    Number of SC employees in each group of Central Government posts, as on 1 January 2024.

    1. Group A16,9203.1%
    2. Group B59,00610.8%
    3. Group C (excluding Safai Karamchari)456,92583.4%
    4. Group C (Safai Karamchari)14,9712.7%

    Note: Counts are of employees in post as reported to DoPT by 80 Ministries and Departments, not of posts sanctioned or vacant.

    Source: Department of Personnel and Training, Annual Report 2024-25, Chapter 4, Para 4.8, data as on 1 January 2024; reservation from para 4.3. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 9 Oct 2026.

  3. Exhibit 3

    In Group A, SCs held 14.20%, STs 6.54% and OBCs 19.14% of posts; across all groups, 16.84%, 8.70% and 26.32%

    Employees in each group of Central Government posts, and the number and share who are SC, ST and OBC, as on 1 January 2024, in the order the report gives them.

    GroupAll employeesSC numberSC shareST numberST shareOBC numberOBC share
    Group A119,17816,92014.2%7,7936.5%22,80719.1%
    Group B364,30759,00616.2%27,7897.6%79,95222.0%
    Group C (excluding Safai Karamchari)2,727,930456,92516.8%243,8728.9%744,52727.3%
    Group C (Safai Karamchari)40,73714,97136.8%3,3318.2%8,61421.2%
    All groups3,252,152547,82216.8%282,7858.7%855,90026.3%

    Note: Reservation in direct recruitment by open competition is 15% for SCs, 7.5% for STs and 27% for OBCs (para 4.3). Each share is of all employees in the group, as the report gives it.

    Source: Department of Personnel and Training, Annual Report 2024-25, Chapter 4, Para 4.8, data as on 1 January 2024; reservation from para 4.3. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 9 Oct 2026.

  4. Exhibit 4

    Outside Safai Karamchari posts, SCs held 16.59% of Central Government posts, the same as their 16.6% share of the population in Census 2011

    Central Government employees in each group, the posts SCs would hold at exactly 15% and at exactly 16.6% of each group, and the posts they held, as on 1 January 2024. Worked out from the report’s table.

    GroupAll employeesAt 15%At 16.6%SC employeesSC shareOver or under 15%Over or under 16.6%
    Group A119,17817,87719,78416,92014.2%-957-2,864
    Group B364,30754,64660,47559,00616.2%+4,360-1,469
    Group C (excluding Safai Karamchari)2,727,930409,190452,836456,92516.8%+47,736+4,089
    Group C (Safai Karamchari)40,7376,1116,76214,97136.8%+8,860+8,209
    All groups3,252,152487,823539,857547,82216.8%+59,999+7,965
    All groups outside Safai Karamchari posts3,211,415481,712533,095532,85116.6%+51,139-244

    Note: The 16.6% is the SC share of India’s population in Census 2011, the latest count; it is out of date and will change with Census 2027. The 15% applies to direct recruitment by open competition, not to a group’s whole strength; these counts show what each share would mean in posts, not what any rule requires. Counts are rounded to whole posts.

    Source: Department of Personnel and Training, Annual Report 2024-25, Chapter 4, Para 4.8, data as on 1 January 2024; reservation from para 4.3. Population share: Census of India 2011, Primary Census Abstract. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 9 Oct 2026.

  5. Exhibit 5

    SCs held 36.75% of Safai Karamchari posts in Central Government and 14.20% of Group A posts; in public sector banks and other financial institutions, 52.92% and 17.61%

    SC employees as a share of Safai Karamchari (sanitation) posts and of Group A posts, %: Central Government as on 1 January 2024; public sector banks and other financial institutions as on 31 January 2020.

    1. Central Government, Safai Karamchari15% reserved36.8%
    2. Central Government, Group A14.2%
    3. Banks, Safai Karamchari52.9%
    4. Banks, Group A17.6%

    Note: The two employers’ figures are from different dates, 31 January 2020 and 1 January 2024, and are not a change over time. Central Government counts Safai Karamchari posts in Group C; the banks count them in Group D.

    Source: Department of Personnel and Training, Annual Report 2024-25, Chapter 4, Para 4.8, data as on 1 January 2024; reservation from para 4.3. Banks: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1794, answered 2 March 2020, Ministry of Finance, Annexure, as on 31 January 2020. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 9 Oct 2026.

  6. Exhibit 6

    In Central Government and the banks, SCs held a larger share of Safai Karamchari posts than of Group A; in the CPSEs, 14.68% of unskilled workers against 16.28% of managers and executives

    SC employees as a share of the top group and of the lowest group each employer reports, %, on the date each answer or report gives.

    1. Central GovernmentTop groupLowest group14.2% and 36.8%
    2. Banks and financial institutions17.6% and 52.9%
    3. CPSEs16.3% and 14.7%

    Note: Each employer reports its own groups, so “lowest” means its own lowest: Safai Karamchari posts for Central Government and the banks, unskilled workers for the CPSEs, whose table has no sanitation category and counts regular employees only. The Railways publish one share for all groups (16.84% as on 1 January 2025) and no split by group. Dates differ: Central Government 1 January 2024; Banks and financial institutions 31 January 2020; CPSEs 31 March 2020.

    Source: Central Government: Department of Personnel and Training, Annual Report 2024-25, Chapter 4, Para 4.8, data as on 1 January 2024; reservation from para 4.3. Banks: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1794, answered 2 March 2020, Ministry of Finance. CPSEs: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2221, answered 8 March 2021, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, figures from the Department of Public Enterprises. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 9 Oct 2026.

  7. Exhibit 7

    Where an official record of sanitation work gives caste, SCs were 67.91% of sewer and septic tank workers validated under NAMASTE, 52.92% of Safai Karamchari posts in the banks and 36.75% in Central Government; three other records keep no caste

    SC share of workers or posts in sanitation, %, in each official record that gives caste: NAMASTE as on 17 December 2024, banks as on 31 January 2020, Central Government as on 1 January 2024. Records with no caste are listed.

    1. Sewer and septic tank workers validated under NAMASTE16.6% of population (Census 2011)67.9%
    2. Safai Karamchari posts, banks52.9%
    3. Safai Karamchari posts, Central Government36.8%
    4. SC and ST workers employed by private waste collection companies“No such data is maintained centrally.”
    5. The caste of sanitation workers in the reports States and UTs send“The reports sent by States/UTs does not mention the caste details.”
    6. The caste of people identified as manual scavengers“Caste based data of identified Manual Scavengers has not been maintained.”

    Note: The NAMASTE figure is the ministry’s record of 54,574 living workers it had validated, also shown in the sewer and septic tank deaths piece. The other two count posts held by permanent employees; neither covers contract workers, and no official source found gives the share of sanitation work done on contract. The Periodic Labour Force Survey’s published tables give occupation and social group separately, never together.

    Source: NAMASTE: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3453, answered 17 December 2024 (18th Lok Sabha, session 3), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Banks: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1794, answered 2 March 2020, Ministry of Finance. Central Government: Department of Personnel and Training, Annual Report 2024-25, Chapter 4, Para 4.8, data as on 1 January 2024; reservation from para 4.3. No caste kept: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2904, answered 18 March 2025, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment; Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 5028, answered 1 April 2025, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment; Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1521, answered 29 July 2025, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 9 Oct 2026.

  8. Exhibit 8

    SCs held 17.61% of Group A posts in the banks and 16.28% of managers and executives in the CPSEs; the Railways give one share for all groups, 16.84%

    Employees in each group or level, and the number and share who are SC, as each answer gives them: banks as on 31 January 2020, CPSEs as on 31 March 2020, Railways as on 1 January 2025.

    EmployerGroup or levelAll employeesSC employeesSC share
    Banks and financial institutionsGroup A481,46584,77617.61%
    Banks and financial institutionsGroup B28,3244,25315.02%
    Banks and financial institutionsGroup C360,83964,76517.95%
    Banks and financial institutionsGroup D (excluding Safai Karamchari)103,63828,86627.85%
    Banks and financial institutionsGroup D (only Safai Karamchari)30,63016,21052.92%
    Banks and financial institutionsAll groups (Grand Total as printed)918,665198,87021.65%
    CPSEsManagerial/Executives248,01140,36516.28%
    CPSEsSupervisors98,96915,41315.57%
    CPSEsWorkers skilled363,87273,96020.33%
    CPSEsWorkers unskilled208,79630,64614.68%
    CPSEsAll levels919,648160,38417.44%
    RailwaysAll groups (no split published)––16.84%

    Note: The banks’ table does not add up: its group rows sum to 1,004,896 employees, but its Grand Total gives 918,665; its SC, ST and OBC columns do add up. Each group’s share uses that group’s own count; the all-groups share is worked from the printed Grand Total. The CPSE counts are of 919,648 regular employees; the same answer counts 495,751 contract, casual and daily-rated workers, with no caste count. Bank and CPSE shares are worked out from number over employees; the Railways give a share only.

    Source: Banks: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1794, answered 2 March 2020, Ministry of Finance, Annexure. CPSEs: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2221, answered 8 March 2021, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, figures from the Department of Public Enterprises. Railways: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1779, answered 30 July 2025, Ministry of Railways. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 9 Oct 2026.

  9. Exhibit 9

    In 2019, SCs held 1 of 89 Secretary posts, 6 of 93 Additional Secretary posts and 13 of 275 Joint Secretary posts filled under the Central Staffing Scheme

    SC officers as a share of officers in post at each level under the Central Staffing Scheme, Government of India, %, as given in the Lok Sabha on 10 July 2019; the answer prints no as-on date.

    1. Secretary15% reserved in direct recruitment1.1%
    2. Additional Secretary6.5%
    3. Joint Secretary4.7%
    4. Director10.8%
    5. Deputy Secretary8.9%

    Note: These are deputation posts, filled from officers of the All India and Group A services, and no reservation applies to them; reservation in promotion reaches only “the lowest rung of Group A”. In the Central Secretariat Service’s own cadre, the same answer counts 6 SCs among 26 in-situ Joint Secretaries (23.08%). DoPT told the Lok Sabha in 2026 that it does not maintain this data, so 2019 is the latest count found.

    Source: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2745, answered 10 July 2019, Ministry of Personnel, Annexure, part (C). Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 9 Oct 2026.

  10. Exhibit 10

    In every count found, 2011, 2014 and 2019, SCs held at most 7.86% of the posts at Joint Secretary level or above

    SC officers and all officers in post at Secretary, Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary level, Government of India, in each Lok Sabha answer that counts them. Special Secretary is counted only in 2014.

    Level2011: SC of all2011: SC share2014: SC of all2014: SC share2019: SC of all2019: SC share
    Secretary“-” of 149–4 of 725.56%1 of 891.12%
    Special Secretary––1 of 195.26%––
    Additional Secretary2 of 1081.85%1 of 601.67%6 of 936.45%
    Joint Secretary31 of 4776.50%22 of 2807.86%13 of 2754.73%

    Note: The 2011 answer counts these posts “in the Government of India” as on 14 March 2011; the later ones count posts under the Central Staffing Scheme and print no as-on date, so the counts are not strictly like for like. Where an answer prints “-” for SCs, no figure is shown. No count since 2019 has been found.

    Source: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3321, answered 16 March 2011, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 549, answered 26 November 2014, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2745, answered 10 July 2019, Ministry of Personnel. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 9 Oct 2026.

What’s next

The next update

We will update these figures on release of DoPT’s Annual Report 2025-26. This is version 2.

What the data can’t tell us yet

Whether reservation was applied in any recruitment: the 15% applies to direct recruitment by open competition, not to every group’s whole strength, and the table counts employees in post, not vacancies.

What you can do

About this data

What this shows
How many employees in each group of Central Government posts are SCs, as a number and a share, as on 1 January 2024, beside the 15% reserved for SCs in direct recruitment by open competition.
Source
Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India; Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, in the Lok Sabha; Ministry of Personnel, in the Lok Sabha; Ministry of Finance, in the Lok Sabha; Ministry of Corporate Affairs, in the Lok Sabha; Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in the Lok Sabha; Ministry of Railways, in the Lok Sabha; Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, 13 documents, Para 4.8, data as on 1 January 2024, Annexure, as on 31 January 2020 and Representation of SCs, STs and OBCs in the operating CPSEs, as on 31 March 2020. Analysis by The Dalit Project, as on 9 Oct 2026. Every source
What it does not show
Whether reservation was applied in any recruitment: the 15% applies to direct recruitment by open competition, not to every group’s whole strength, and the table counts employees in post, not vacancies.
Last updated
9 Oct 2026 · Next expected update: on release of DoPT’s Annual Report 2025-26
Corrections
Changelog (version 2) · Corrections policy

Sources, caveats and definitions