ARTICLE 16

EDITOR 24 JULY: Article 16 assures citizens equality of opportunity in employment or appointment to any government office.No citizen no citizen can be discriminated against or be ineligible for any employment or office under the state of grounds of only religion, race caste, sex, descent, place of birth or residence. The article summary is -

1. There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the state.

2. No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion,race, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them , be ineligible for , or discriminated against in respect or, any employment or office under the state.

3. Nothing in this article shall prevent Parliament from making any low prescribing , in regard to a class or classes of employment or appointment to any office under the government of, or any local or other authority within, a state or union territory, any requirements as to residence within that state or union territory prior to such employment of appointment.

4. Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favor of any backward class of citizens which, in the opinion of The state is not adequately represented in the services under the State.

5. 77th Amendment Act added a new clause (4A) to Article 16, empowering the state to make provisions for reservation in matters of promotion to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe employees if the state feels they are not adequately represented in services.

6. Nothing in this article shall affect the operation of any law which provides that the incumbent of an office in connection with the affairs of any religious or denominational institution or any member of the governing body thereof shall be a person professing a particular religion or belonging to a particular denomination.