82nd Amendment (2000)

The 81st and 82nd Amendments strengthened SC/ST representation by allowing carry-forward of reserved vacancies and relaxing promotion standards.

82nd Amendment (2000) – Relaxation in Promotion Standards for SCs/STs

Syllabus: Constitution (UPSC GS II)

The 82nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2000 allows the government to relax qualifying marks¹ or evaluation standards for SCs and STs in promotions. This was done by adding a proviso to Article 335, permitting lower standards in promotion while ensuring administrative efficiency is not adversely affected.

Link with the 81st Amendment – Carry Forward Rule

The concept of carrying forward unfilled SC/ST vacancies comes from the 81st Amendment Act (2000), which inserted Article 16(4B).

Article 16(4B): Allows the State to carry forward unfilled reserved vacancies for SCs/STs (and OBCs), and fill them in later recruitment years.
Carry Forward Rule: Enables the accumulation of unfilled reserved posts from previous recruitment cycles, preventing their lapse.

How the Two Amendments Differ

81st Amendment:
Focuses on vacancies — permitting carry-forward of unfilled reserved posts.
82nd Amendment:
Focuses on promotion standards — allowing relaxation of qualifying marks for SCs/STs.

Together, these amendments strengthen the representation of SCs and STs in government employment, particularly in promotions and higher posts.