Raipur, Sep 30: The Chhattisgarh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, has granted ex-post facto approval to the revised Guest Lecturer Policy-2026, introducing Chhattisgarh domicile preference in tie-breakers, expanded teaching experience credits, and a workday-based honorarium system.

The Cabinet meeting held at Mantralaya in Nava Raipur also approved the Chhattisgarh Public Service Former Agniveer Soldiers Recruitment Rules, 2026, establishing a formal legal framework to implement a 10 per cent quota for former Agniveers across Class III state service positions.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao outlined the key amendments to the higher education policy. Under the revised norms, if two candidates in the same category score equal merit marks, preference will automatically be granted to a Chhattisgarh domicile.

The state has also expanded the criteria for awarding teaching experience points. Candidates can now earn five marks for every five months of teaching completed during an academic session at either a government college or a state university, capped at a maximum of 30 marks. Previously, teaching experience gained at state universities was not clearly recognized.

To eliminate payment discrepancies, the government replaced the existing period-based payment model with a workday-based honorarium system. The updated guidelines also permit displaced guest lecturers from state universities and government colleges to be re-engaged against vacant posts based on their past service records.

In another major policy decision, the Cabinet framed specific recruitment rules providing 10 per cent reservation for former Agniveers in Class III recruitment drives. The reservation covers key uniformed cadres, including Constable in the Police Department, Forest Guard in the Department of Forest and Climate Change, and Jail Prahari in the Prisons Department. The new rules detail appointment criteria, physical requirements, and age relaxations for former service members.

Additionally, the Cabinet ratified a Commercial Taxes Department order to reimburse cinema halls an amount equivalent to the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) payable on tickets for the film Hanuman Ansh. The decision follows Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s September 10 announcement declaring the movie tax-free across the state.