look news india
Lucknow, 29 October. The Appointment Department has clarified the position on the reports published in some news media regarding the government order related to character and antecedent verification of candidates for government appointments in Uttar Pradesh. According to the department, while interpreting the Government Order, it is important to understand its basic intent and actual provisions. The relevant rule clarifies that a person will not be considered unsuitable for government appointment merely on the basis of his political ideology. Therefore, it is not appropriate to present this provision as a system of denial of government jobs on the basis of political ideology, ideological disagreement or peaceful protest.
The provision makes a clear distinction between political ideology and violent activities. It specifically mentions such organizations whose stated objective is to violently change the existing system of society. Cases of association with such organizations and related activities will be considered as per the prescribed rules. This is not to equate general political views, criticism of the government, or peaceful democratic activities with violent activities.
The provision was already in force, now made more clear
According to the Appointment Department, this provision related to character and antecedent verification for government appointments was also included in the earlier government order. In the new mandate, the relevant provisions have been compiled together and presented in a more simple, clear and systematic form in compliance with the directions of the High Court. Its objective is to ensure clarity in understanding the rules, their uniform compliance and verification process. This may facilitate the candidates to understand the provisions and avoid unnecessary confusion.
Provision for positive change with a period of three years
The relevant rule mentions that participation in such activities during the three years preceding the date of investigation after attaining the age of 21 years should be considered as evidence of active engagement of the person. Besides, the situation of availability of concrete evidence of positive change in the attitude of the person during this period has also been kept in mind. Therefore it is not sufficient to understand this provision merely by mentioning the period of three years; It is necessary to read all its aspects together.
Political disagreement and violent activities are two different subjects.
In a democratic system, expressing political views, criticizing government policies and expressing one’s views in a peaceful manner are different subjects. These cannot be equated with activities aimed at changing the social order through violence. Character and antecedent verification in government services is the process of examining the suitability of candidates as per prescribed standards. In such a situation, it is necessary to interpret the Government Order on the basis of its complete text and actual context, so that no provision is presented separately from its original intent and unnecessary confusion is not spread among the candidates.