The Constitution of India
Article 336
Special provision for Anglo-Indian community in certain services
(1) During the first two years after the commencement of this Constitution, appointments of members of the Anglo-Indian community to posts in the railway, customs, postal and telegraph services of the Union shall be made on the same basis as immediately before the fifteenth day of August, 1947.
During every succeeding period of two years, the number of posts reserved for the members of the said community in the said services shall, as nearly as possible, be less by ten per cent. than the numbers so reserved during the immediately preceding period of two years:
Provided that at the end of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution all such reservations shall cease.
(2) Nothing in clause (1) shall bar the appointment of members of the Anglo-Indian community to posts other than, or in addition to, those reserved for the community under that clause if such members are found qualified for appointment on merit as compared with the members of other communities.
Why this exists
The Anglo-Indian community had historically been employed in large numbers in British-era railway, customs, postal, and telegraph services, often through informal preference. After independence, the Constitution's framers worried that sudden withdrawal of these opportunities could cause economic hardship for a small, distinct community. So they built in a gentle, time-bound phase-out — a decade-long taper — rather than an abrupt cutoff, reflecting the transitional and temporary nature of many post-independence minority protections.
Common misconceptions
- Myth: Anglo-Indians still have reserved government jobs today under Article 336.
Fact: The Article itself states all such reservations ended ten years after the Constitution commenced, around 1960; the provision is now historical and has no ongoing effect. - Myth: This Article gave Anglo-Indians a permanent right to government jobs.
Fact: It only guaranteed a temporary, shrinking quota for a decade — after that, appointments had to be based purely on merit like everyone else.