Assam Government Waives Job Application Fees for SC/ST Candidates

The Assam government has introduced a bill to eliminate job application fees for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates. This proposed legislation was presented in the assembly by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Currently, SC and ST candidates pay half the fee compared to general category applicants.

The Assam government took a significant step on Thursday by introducing a bill to eliminate job application fees for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates.

The bill, named The Assam Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was tabled in the assembly by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Sarma, who also oversees the Personnel department, emphasized that the proposal aims to provide fee exemptions for examinations for SC and ST candidates.

Currently, the application fees for SC and ST candidates are reduced to half compared to those from the general category. Sarma highlighted that the bill will have financial implications as the total fees collected from applicants will decrease due to the complete waiver for SC and ST candidates.