(The Gist of PIB) Sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes

[July-2020]

The Union Cabinet has approved an extension to the commission appointed to examine sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes.
The extension is for 6 months, valid till 31st January 2021.

The Commission requested for an extension till 31at July 2020 in order to have more time to submit its report since the repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or transcription etc. appearing in the existing Central List of OBCs need to be cleared.
Due to the nationwide lockdown and restrictions on travel imposed on account of COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission was not able to go perform the task assigned to it.

The Commission was constituted under Article 340 of the Constitution, headed by Justice (Retd.) Smt. G. Rohini in October, 2017.
It was tasked to look into the uneven distribution of reservation benefits among different castes in the central OBC list and work out the mechanism and parameters for sub-categorisation of OBCs, to identify castes, sub-castes and communities and classify them into sub-categories.
The Commission has since interacted with all the States/UTs which have subcategorized OBCs, and the State Backward Classes Commissions.
The expenditure related to the establishment and administration costs of the Commission is borne by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment.

There are an inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the castes or communities in the central list of OBCs
Presently, half of these 1,900-odd castes have availed less than three per cent of reservation in jobs and education, and the rest availed zero benefits during the last five years.
Five-year data on OBC quota implementation in central jobs and higher educational institutions showed that a very small section has cornered the lion’s share.
The commission is tasked to sort out a mechanism, criteria, norms and parameters for sub-categorisation within such OBCs and taking up the exercise of identifying castes, sub-castes and communities and classifying them into respective sub-categories.