Mumbai, September 8 (Daily Kiran) : The Maharashtra government has taken a significant step to improve the recruitment process for athletes. In a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, officials approved a revised policy that grants a 5% reservation for outstanding athletes in government and semi-government jobs.
Under the new policy, eligible athletes must complete the verification of their sports certificates within three months. This initiative aims to provide social and economic security to athletes who have made their mark at national and international levels.
The 5% reservation will apply to direct recruitment for Group A, B, C, and D positions across all state government departments, district councils, panchayat committees, municipal corporations, public sector undertakings, boards, universities, and any grant-aided voluntary organizations receiving state funding.
To qualify for this reservation, athletes must have participated in at least three consecutive Summer Olympic Games since 2005. Additionally, regional sports such as kabaddi, kho-kho, chess, mallakhamb, and cricket have also been included in the eligibility criteria. Notably, the eligibility condition for specific sports will not apply to major multi-sport events like the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games; any sport included in these events during their respective years will automatically qualify.
Furthermore, medal winners from recognized associations in senior, youth, and junior age categories, as well as participants in school games (under-19), Khelo India Games (youth, university, para), and the All India Inter-University Championship, will also be eligible. To combat fraudulent certificates, the new policy introduces a digital ‘Sports E-Certificate Automation System.’
Tournament organizers are now required to upload results with digital signatures within seven days of event completion. This system utilizes blockchain technology to permanently store data, ensuring it cannot be tampered with, while enabling instant verification through automated cryptographic hashing. Following the introduction of this new policy, all previous government orders on the subject will be considered null and void. A comprehensive new government order will be issued shortly.
Candidates who were eligible under the previous government order will also need to verify their certificates within three months of the new order’s issuance.
The list of recognized sports includes archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cricket, cycling, fencing, football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, kabaddi, kho-kho, mallakhamb, rowing, rugby, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, volleyball, modern pentathlon, weightlifting, wrestling, skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing, golf, chess, equestrian, sailing, and tennis.
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