The punjab scheduled castes and backward classes (reservation in services) act 2006

GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB 
 
DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS  
 
THE PUNJAB SCHEDULED CASTES AND BACKWARD 
CLASSES (RESERVATION IN SERVICES) ACT, 2006  
 
 
(PUNJAB ACT 22 OF 2006) 
 
(As amended upto the 15th June, 2025) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2025 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

THE PUNJAB SCHEDULED CASTES AND BACKWARD 
CLASSES (RESERVATION IN SERVICES) ACT, 2006  
 
 
Sections                               CONTENTS 
 
1. Short title and commencement 
2. Definitions 
3. Act not to apply in relation to certain employments 
4. Percentage of Reservation 
5. Certificate of identification 
6. To implement backlog of vacancies  
7. De-reservation of reserved vacancy  
8. Penalty 
9. Protection of action taken in good faith 
10. Power to remove difficulties 
11. Submission of annual report, maintenance of other records, 
roster register and inspection thereon  
12. Power to make rules 
13. Overriding effect 
14. Saving  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1THE PUNJAB SCHEDULED CASTES AND BACKWARD 
CLASSES (RESERVATION IN SERVICES) ACT, 2006  
(Punjab Act No.22 of 2006) 
    [Received the assent of the Governor of Punjab on the 4th 
October, 2006, and was first published for general information in 
the Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary), Legislative 
Supplement, dated the 5th October, 2006.]  
1 2 3 4 
Year No. Short title Whether repealed or 
otherwise affected by the 
legislation  
2006 22 The Punjab 
Scheduled 
Castes and 
Backward 
Classes 
(Reservation in 
Services) Act, 
2006 
 
Amended by Punjab Act 
No. 17 of 2018 
 
 
An Act to provide for reservation in services for the members of 
Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes and for the matters 
connected therewith or incidental thereto. 
BE it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the 
Fifty-seventh Year of the Republic of India as fo llows: - 
1. (1) This Act may be called the Punjab Scheduled Castes 
and Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006.  
(2) It shall come into force at once. 
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, - 
(a) "appointment" means an appointment made by direct 
recruitment, by promotion or by transfer of a person 
already in service of the Government of India or a State 
Government; 
(b) "Backward Class" means a Backward Class, declared 
as such by the State Government by notification in the 
Official Gazette from time to time; 
(c) "establishment" means any office of the State 
Government, a local authority or a statutory authority 
                                                
1 For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary), 
dated the 15th September, 2006, page 1837-1838. 
Short title and 
commencement. 
Definitions. 
constituted under any State Law for the time being in 
force, or a Board or Corporation in which not less than 
fifty-one per cent of the paid up share of capital is held 
by the Government of the State of Punjab and includes 
a university or college affiliated to the university, 
primary and secondary schools and other educational 
institutions, which are owned by the State Government 
and also includes an establishment in public sector; 
(d) "establishment in public sector" means any industry, 
trade, business or occupation owned, controlled or 
managed by, - 
(i) the State Government; and 
(ii) Government Company as defined in Section 617 
of the Companies Act, 1956, in which not less 
than fifty -one per cent of the paid up share 
capital is held by the Government of the State of 
Punjab; 
(e) "prescribed" means prescribed by the rules made under 
this Act; 
(f) "Scheduled Castes" means Scheduled Castes, notified 
by the President of India under Article 341 of the 
Constitution of India by the Constitution (Scheduled 
Castes) Order, 1950, as amended from time to time; 
(g) "section" means section of this Act; and 
(h) "State Government" means Government of the State of 
Punjab in the Department of Welfare of Scheduled 
Castes and Backward Classes. 
 3. This Act shall not apply to, - 
(a) any employment under the Central Government; 
(b) any employment in private sector; and 
(c) any employment in domestic service. 
4. (1) While making appointments in services by any of the 
methods, provided under any Service Rules, reservation shall be 
made for the members of the Scheduled Castes and Backward 
Classes in the services under all the establishments. 
(2) The percentage of reservation for filling up the 
vacancies by direct recruitment or by transfer in Group 'A', Group 
'B', Group 'C' and Group 'D' services, shall be twenty -five per cent 
for Scheduled Castes and twelve per cent for Backward Classes.  
Act not to apply in 
relation to certain 
employments. 
Percentage of 
Reservation. 
1[(3) The percentage of reservation for filling up the 
vacancies by promotion by Scheduled Castes in Group 'A' and 
Group 'B' Services shall be fourteen per cent. 
(4) The percentage of reservation for filling up the 
vacancies by promotion by Scheduled Castes in Group 'C' and 
Group 'D' Services shall be twenty per cent.] 
(5) Fifty per cent of the vacancies of the quota reserved for 
Scheduled Castes in direct recruitment, shall be offered to Balmikis 
and Mazhbi Sikhs, if available, as a first preference from amongst 
the Scheduled Castes. 
(6) Reservation shall be implemented by reserving 
vacancies by means of a running roster, as may be prescribed till the 
percentage of reservation, as specified in sub -sections (2), (3) and 
(4), are completed. 
(7) Reservation shall be applicable to vacancies to be filled 
on ad hoc basis, short term vacancies, work charged establishment, 
daily wages staff and the staff engaged on contract basis. 
2[(8) Reservation shall also be applicable to proforma 
promotion and appointment by transfer.] 
 5. (1) A candidate, who claims to be a member of Scheduled 
Castes, shall support his candidature as such by a certificate of caste 
identification, issued under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) 
Order, 1950, notified by the President of India for the State of 
Punjab. 
(2) A candidate, who claims to be a member of Backward 
Classes, shall support his candidature as such by a certificate of class 
identification as per the notification, issued by the State Government 
in this regard from time to time. 
6. (1) The backlog or carry forward reserved vacancie s for 
Scheduled Castes shall be treated as a separate class of vacancies 
and the ceiling of fifty per cent on filling up these reserved vacancies 
in succeeding year or years, shall not apply to such class of 
vacancies. 
(2) The vacancies, referred to in sub -section (1), shall not 
be considered together with the vacancies of the year in which they 
                                                
1 Omitted and inserted by Punjab Act No. 17 of 2018, Section 2 (i) & (ii) 
2 Omitted and inserted by Punjab Act No. 17 of 2018, Section 2 (iii) & (iv) 
Certificate of 
identification. 
To implement 
backlog of 
vacancies. 
are being filled up for determining the ceiling of fifty per cent 
reservation on total number of vacancies of that year.  
(3) The backlog or carried forward reserved  vacancies for 
Scheduled Castes shall be calculated keeping in view the total 
number of vacancies filled up in each cadre or service. 
7. (1) There shall be no de - reservation of any reserved 
vacancy by any appointing authority in any establishment, which is 
to be filled up by direct recruitment or by promotion. In case, a 
qualified or eligible Scheduled Castes or Backward Classes 
candidate, as the case may be, is not available to fill up such 
vacancy, in that situation, such vacancy shall remain unfilled. 
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), 
if, in the public interest, it is deemed necessary to fill up any vacancy 
referred to in that sub -section, the appointing authority shall refer 
the vacancy to the Department of Welfare of Scheduled Castes and 
Backward Classes for de - reservation. Upon such reference, the 
Department of Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes 
may, if it is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do, by 
order in writing, de-reserve the vacancy, subject to the condition that 
the vacancy so de -reserved, shall be carried forward against a 
subsequent unreserved vacancy. 
8. If any officer or official is found guilty of committing any 
omission or commission in contravening the provisions of this Act, 
he shall be punishable under the provisions of the Punjab Civil 
Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970 or any other relevant 
service Rules. 
 9. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against 
the State Government or any officer of the State Government for 
anything, which is in good faith done or intended to be done in 
pursuance of any of the provisions of this Act and the rules made 
thereunder. 
10.  (1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions 
of this Act, the State Government may, by order published in the 
Official Gazette, make such provisions not inconsistent with the 
provisions of this  Act, as may appear to it, to be necessary for 
removing the difficulty: 
De-reservation of 
reserved vacancy. 
Penalty. 
Protection of 
action taken in 
good faith. 
Power to remove 
difficulties. 
Provided that no order shall be made under this section after 
the expiry of a period of two years from the commencement of this 
Act. 
(2) Every order made under this section, shall be l aid as 
soon as may be, after it is made, before the House of the State 
Legislature. 
11. (1) Every establishment shall maintain such records, roster 
register or documents in respect of reservation in appointment and 
promotions, and in such form, as may be prescribed, and shall 
furnish to the State Government in the prescribed manner an annual 
report on the appointments and promotions made by it during the 
previous year reckoned according to the English Calendar.  
(2) Any officer, authorized by the State Government in that 
behalf, may inspect any records or documents, which are maintained 
in relation to the appointments and promotions made by any 
establishment. 
(3) It shall be the duty of the Establishment Branch In -
charge to produce such records or documents for inspection by the 
officer authorised under sub - section (2), and furnish such 
information or afford such assistance, as may be necessary for him 
to carry out his functions under this Act. 
12. (1) The State Government may, by notification in the 
Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this 
Act. 
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of 
the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the 
following matters, namely: - 
(a) to prescribe the form of running roster under sub-
section (6) of section 4; 
(b) to prescribe the form in which records, roster 
register or documents are to be maintained under 
sub-section (1) of section 11 by every 
establishment; 
(c) to prescribe the manner in which annual report 
on the appointments and promotions made by 
every establishment is to be maintained and 
furnished under sub -section (1) of section 11; 
and 
Submission of 
annual report, 
maintenance of 
other records, 
roster register and 
inspection 
thereon. 
Power to make 
rules. 
(d) any other matter, which is required to be or may 
be prescribed. 
13. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any 
other law for the time being in force, or any judgment, decree, order 
or decision of any Court or any authority, the provisions of this Act 
or the rules made thereunder, shall have effect.  
14. Notwithstanding anything done or any action taken in 
pursuance of any instructions, issued before the commencement of 
this Act to implement the reservation policy by the State 
Government, shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the 
corresponding provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Overriding effect. 
Saving. 

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