The Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda today announced five per cent decrease in the minimum pass marks required by SC candidates for recruitment to the posts of HCS (executive and judicial branches). candidates from this category would now be declared pass even if they get 45 per cent marks, five per cent less than the earlier minimum pass marks. He also announced increase in the amount of financial assistance being given to advocates belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) for purchasing library books from Rs one lakh to Rs 1.5 lakhHooda, who was here to attend a seminar on ‘Uplift of lawyers from weaker sections’, organised by the Dr Ambedkar SC/ST Association of Advocates here today, said the state government was committed to the uplift of the weaker sections of society.Terming Congress and the people of scheduled castes and backward classes as complementary to each other, he said that whenever people of these communities got annoyed with the party, it had lost power and whenever Congress lost power, a number of atrocities were committed on the people of these communities. Hooda said he was highly sensitive to the problems of poor people of the society because he belongs to a family which always fought against social injustice. Giving details of the steps taken by his government for the uplift of the poor, he said that a seven-time increase in the budget meant for the development of SCs had been effected. HPCC president Phool Chand Mullana. Babu Ram Dahiya, president, Dr Ambedkar, SC/ST Association of Advocates, gave a memento to the Chief Minister. Former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana HC, Vijender Jain, was also present.
