➤ Article 16:
Equality of Opportunity:
- All citizens should have equal opportunity for employment or appointment to any office under the State.
- No citizen should face discrimination or be deemed ineligible for employment based on religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, or residence.
➤ Exceptions:
i) Residence Condition:
- Parliament can require residence as a condition for certain jobs in a state, union territory, local authority, or other authority.
- Since the Public Employment (Requirement as to Residence) Act of 1957 expired in 1974, this rule no longer applies except in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
ii) Reservations for Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes/Tribes:
- The State can reserve jobs or promotions for any backward class that is underrepresented in state services.
- The State can also reserve promotions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes underrepresented in state services.
- The State can manage unfilled reserved positions from one year by treating them as a separate class and filling them in later years.
iii) Religious or Denominational Institutions:
- A law can require that someone holding an office in a religious or denominational institution must belong to that particular religion or denomination.
iv) Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections:
- The State can reserve up to 10% of jobs for economically weaker sections in addition to existing reservations.
- The State defines who qualifies as economically weaker based on family income and other indicators.