Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced on Saturday, 23 May 2026 that the state government has implemented a 30% horizontal reservation for women in government jobs, framing the decision as a transformative step toward women's empowerment and self-reliance.

Context

Posting in Hindi on X, CM Dhami declared: 'मातृशक्ति के सशक्तिकरण और उन्हें आत्मनिर्भर बनाने की दिशा में प्रदेश सरकार द्वारा सरकारी नौकरियों में महिलाओं के लिए 30% क्षैतिज आरक्षण लागू किया गया है' ['In the direction of empowering women and making them self-reliant, the state government has implemented 30% horizontal reservation for women in government jobs']. He added that this decision is 'not merely a policy, but a strong effort to give new wings to the dreams of thousands of sisters.' The Chief Minister also noted that women of Uttarakhand are today 'hoisting the flag of their talent in every field.'

Policy Backdrop

Horizontal reservation differs from vertical reservation in that it cuts across existing category-wise quotas — meaning women from general, OBC, and SC/ST categories each benefit within their respective pools. The constitutional basis for such measures stems from provisions permitting special protections for women, a framework that gained momentum after the 73rd Constitutional Amendment of 1992, which mandated 33% reservation for women in panchayats and local bodies nationwide.

Several Indian states have enacted horizontal reservations ranging from 30% to 33% for women in public sector recruitment over the past decade, seeking to correct persistent gender imbalances in government employment. Uttarakhand's move aligns with this broader national pattern and fits within the BJP's stated electoral and governance emphasis on women's empowerment programmes.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are women job aspirants across Uttarakhand who compete in state government recruitment examinations. The quota applies horizontally across departments, meaning its reach extends to a wide range of public-sector roles from administration to education and health services. Women's groups and employment advocates have long pushed for such structural guarantees, arguing that merit-based competition alone has not been sufficient to close the gender gap in government offices.

Government departments will be required to recalibrate their recruitment notifications to reflect the new 30% threshold, a process that will test administrative readiness and consistency across agencies.

What's Next

The practical test of this policy will be its uniform application in upcoming recruitment cycles across all state departments. Legal and administrative scrutiny of horizontal quota implementations is common in India, and any ambiguity in the gazette notification or departmental orders could invite judicial review. Observers will also watch whether the state pairs this reservation with complementary measures — such as coaching support or relaxed eligibility norms — to maximise uptake among women candidates from remote Himalayan districts.