Determination of the percentage to be reserved

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the vacancies reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes shall not be filled up by candidates not belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. (2) The reservation of vacancies in Posts and Services shall be at such percentage of the total number of vacancies as the State Government may from time to time, by order published in the official gazette determine : Provided that (a) in the case of initial recruitment, the percentage so determined shall, in no case be less than the percentage of the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes, as the case may be, in the total population of the State as recorded in 1971 Census; Provided that if there be only two vacancies, the roster points must be ensured after taking into account the carry-over of the percentage of the preceding three recruitment years; and (b) save as otherwise provided in this Act in the case of appointment by way of promotion, the percentage of reservation shall be equal to the percentage as on the 1st day of April, 1976 of the employees belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Schedule Tribes, as the case may be, in the lower grade from which the promotion is to be made so, however, that it shall not exceed the percentage of the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes in the total population of the State.