Haryana amends CET policy, removes bonus marks, raised gratuity limit

Haryana government has decided to increase the maximum limit of Death-cum-Retirement Gratuity for state government employees by 25 per cent, an official statement said on Saturday. This enhancement will take effect from January 1, 2025, raising the gratuity from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.The proposal in this regard was approved by the state cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. The Haryana Cabinet also approved amendments in the Common Eligibility Test policy to remove the grant of five per cent bonus marks to certain candidates based on socioeconomic criteria for government jobs in Group C and D posts. The government decision follows a May 31 order by the high court on the matter, an official statement said.
In May, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had struck down the state government's policy of granting five per cent bonus marks based on the socioeconomic status of the candidate from the state, in the CET for groups C and D posts. Later, in June, the Supreme Court had upheld the Punjab and Haryana High Court order. The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission against the Punjab and Haryana High Court's May 31 order.
The statement said, "The Policy for Recruitment to Group C and D posts through Common Eligibility Test, (Amendment) Rule, 2024 shall apply to direct recruitment to Group C posts including the posts of police service, prisons and home guards etc, excluding the teaching posts, ex-Agniveer and Group D posts for which minimum educational qualification is below matriculation."
In another decision, the cabinet approved the decision to bring an ordinance for further amending the Haryana Contractual Employees (Security of Service) Act, 2024. Under this amendment, the phrase "in a calendar year" will be replaced with "during a period of one year of contractual service." This amendment is being introduced to address request raised by contractual employees regarding the calculation of their service days, the statement said. Employees had requested that the 240-day service requirement be calculated based on the actual number of days during a one-year period of contractual service, instead of a calendar year.  Under the Haryana Contractual Employees (Security of Service) Act, 2024, the benefit of job security is admissible to those contractual employees who fulfil the five years contractual service before August 15, 2024, the statement added.