![\"Ladakh](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-130518503,imgsize-448516,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/ladakh-dismantles-restrictive-service-rule-as-lg-vinai-kumar-saxena-clears-path-for-qualified-employees-to-compete-for-higher-posts.jpg\" "\\"(PTI")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nA contentious service rule that effectively blocked qualified government employees from advancing within the system has been withdrawn in Ladakh. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Saturday ordered the immediate removal of the provision, bringing an end to a restriction that had long limited career progression within government service according to media reports.The decision marks a significant administrative shift, as it restores access to graduate-level recruitment for employees who had been excluded despite holding higher educational qualifications. The order comes into force immediately, according to an official statement.<\/p>\n The scrapped provision had barred employees\u2014despite possessing graduate or higher degrees\u2014from applying to graduate-level government posts if they had entered service through Class 10 or Class 12 eligibility. The restriction created a rigid ceiling within the administrative structure, limiting mobility irrespective of an employee\u2019s academic credentials.<\/p>\n Central to the rule was a mandatory affidavit. At the time of recruitment, candidates were required to declare that they did not hold higher qualifications. This declaration later became a basis for exclusion, disqualifying them from future recruitment processes for posts that matched their actual educational attainments.<\/p>\n Officials indicated that the decision was taken after the Lieutenant Governor\u2019s office received multiple representations from affected employees. The submissions pointed to a structural inconsistency, where the system effectively invalidated higher education once an individual entered service through a lower qualification bracket.<\/p>\n In the official assessment, Saxena described the rule as \u201cunjustified\u201d and \u201crestrictive,\u201d noting that it curtailed the right of employees to compete for positions aligned with their qualifications. The review concluded that the provision imposed an unnecessary limitation within the recruitment framework.<\/p>\n With the order now in force, all existing government employees in Ladakh\u2014including those who had previously submitted affidavits\u2014are eligible to apply for graduate-level posts, subject to prescribed conditions. The decision is expected to benefit a large number of employees working in roles such as Orderly and Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS), particularly in a region where government employment remains a primary source of livelihood.<\/div>\nBarrier to advancement removed
<\/h2>\n<\/p>\nAffidavit clause enforced exclusion<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Move follows sustained representations<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Provision termed restrictive by administration<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Eligibility widened for existing workforce<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n