Sources said a cabinet note circulated earlier stated that the government had failed to fill up the SC/ST and OBC vacancies in the central government. The last such effort was made in 2008 when the government had launched a special recruitment drive for these categories.
Though implementation of this decision will be possible only after the polls are over as the code of conduct is in force, its announcement is apparently aimed at sending a signal to the dalits, STs and OBCs in poll-bound states, especially Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
Both UP and Punjab have sizable dalit population and the Congress has been trying hard to woo them. Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi has tried to influence the dalit votebank and wean them away from Mayawati-led BSP.
The decision comes close on the heels of the earlier government move to give reservation to minorities. This was seen as a move to win over Muslims in Uttar Pradesh.