Surat Municipal Corporation to Reserve Direct Recruitment Posts for Ex-Servicemen

Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has moved to implement reservation quotas for ex-servicemen across its direct recruitment drives, aligning civic hiring policies with long-standing Gujarat government mandates.

The civic body's standing committee will consider a proposal to enforce the Urban Development Department's July 24 resolution, which mandates that local self-government institutions strictly adhere to ex-servicemen reservation rules. Once ratified by the general board, former defense personnel will secure quota benefits in all upcoming recruitment drives for permanent civic posts.

Reservation Breakdown Across Cadres

The policy enforces a notification originally issued by the state's General Administration Department on January 22, 2018. Under these provisions, ex-servicemen receive a 1% quota in Class-1 and Class-2 positions, 10% in Class-3 roles, and 20% in Class-4 recruitments.

Despite the state government issuing these guidelines six years ago, local urban bodies across Gujarat had largely failed to implement them. The issue gained urgency following representations from ex-servicemen associations and subsequent litigation in the Gujarat High Court, prompting the state government to order compliance across all municipal corporations.

Executive Authorisation and Implementation

The proposal also empowers the Municipal Commissioner to automatically adopt any future amendments, revised instructions, or updates issued by the state government regarding ex-servicemen reservations without requiring fresh procedural approvals every time rules change.

Approval by the general board will mark the first time SMC officially reserves permanent direct recruitment slots for former armed forces personnel, closing a policy gap that excluded veterans from local civil service benefits for years.