Over the past decade, Maharashtra’s state government workforce has undergone a sharp demographic shift, with the unreserved or “Non-Backward” category steadily losing ground as reserved communities expand their share across the bureaucracy. This falling number is one of the reasons for the state cabinet’s latest recruitment policy for government jobs which has further tightened access to open-category posts by ruling that reserved category candidates who avail concessions such as age relaxation, lower qualification thresholds, or extra exam attempts will no longer be eligible for unreserved seats, regardless of merit ranking.
Data comparing state employment patterns between 2015 and July 2024 shows that while the total number of government employees shrank significantly from 5.71 lakh to 4.89 lakh the contraction has disproportionately impacted Non-Backward Classes.
In 2015, Non-Backward employees accounted for 31.6% of the state workforce, with 1.80 lakh employees. By 2024, their share had dropped to 28.8%, while their headcount fell sharply to 1.40 lakh a reduction of nearly 40,000 jobs.
In contrast, Total Backward Classes including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, VJNT, SBC, and OBC groups saw their proportional share rise from 68.4% to 71.2% over the same period, despite an overall reduction in government jobs.
The shift comes amid Maharashtra’s expanding reservation framework, where total reservations now stand at 72%.
Among major social groups, Scheduled Castes saw their numbers fall from 1.03 lakh to 87,133, with their share marginally declining from 18.1% to 17.8%. Scheduled Tribes recorded a smaller drop in headcount—from 53,218 to 49,127—but increased their workforce share from 9.3% to 10%.
Denotified Tribes and Nomadic Tribes (VJNT) registered the most notable proportional rise, growing from 13.8% to 15.9%, even as their absolute numbers remained relatively stable.
Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the largest reserved bloc, saw their share remain broadly stable at around 24.6%, while Special Backward Classes posted modest gains.
The most significant decline, however, was among Non-Backward Classes, which saw both the steepest fall in absolute numbers and the sharpest erosion in proportional representation.
In the Maharashtra government workforce, employees are classified into Groups A, B, B (Non-Gazetted), C, and D based on rank, responsibility, and pay scale. Group A consists of senior gazetted officers such as deputy collectors, senior administrators, engineers, and top bureaucrats who handle policy-making and major administrative functions. Group B includes mid-level gazetted officers and supervisory officials responsible for implementing policies and managing departments. Group B (Non-Gazetted) comprises junior supervisory and executive staff who perform administrative duties without gazetted status. Group C employees form the largest segment, including clerks, assistants, technicians, teachers, and operational staff who manage day-to-day government functions. Group D includes support and service personnel such as peons, attendants, drivers, and maintenance workers who handle essential ground-level and manual tasks. Together, these categories represent the full administrative and operational structure of Maharashtra’s state government workforce.
Even in elite Group A services—the highest tier of state administration comprising senior bureaucrats, engineers, and policymakers—Non-Backward representation fell from 41% in 2015 to 37.6% in 2024. While their actual numbers rose slightly due to an increase in total Group A posts, their share diminished as reserved groups expanded faster. Backward Classes increased their Group A presence from 59% to 62.4%.
The Maharashtra government also appears to be facing a “diversity deficit,” as the representation of various minority communities in state government positions has declined significantly over the last decade. The share of three minority communities — Christian, Muslims and Jains — in government jobs declined in the same period from 4.74 per cent to 3.9 per cent.
