The Women’s Reservation Bill 2023 has sparked controversy due to its lack of a quota for women belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC). This incident has highlighted the broader issue of OBC underrepresentation in government positions.
The Concern Around Representation of Other Backward Classes
The recent Women’s Reservation Bill 2023, which allocates 33% of seats for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, has caused concern due to its omission of a quota for women from OBCs. Unlike Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), the Constitution does not stipulate political reservations for OBCs in either the Lok Sabha or state assemblies.
Critics have raised objections, highlighting that OBCs, constituting 41% of the population (as per the National Sample Survey Organisation Survey 2006), are inadequately represented in these governmental bodies despite demands for a separate quota. This demand parallels the reservation provision for SCs and STs. However, such a quota has not been enacted, citing legal and constitutional challenges.
Some state governments, such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, have extended representation to OBCs in Local Body elections. Still, the Supreme Court has capped total reservations at 50%, which restricts OBC reservation to 27%.
OBC Strength in the Lok Sabha
Around 120 MPs from the OBC community currently sit in the 17th Lok Sabha, making up approximately 22% of its total strength.
The Geeta Mukherjee Report
The Geeta Mukherjee report offers a comprehensive review of the Women’s Reservation Bill first introduced in Parliament in 1996. It offered seven recommendations aimed at improving the bill, including proposing a sub-reservation for OBC women should the Constitution extend reservation to OBCs.
Arguments for and against Reservation of Seats for OBC Women
Those who support extending reservation to OBC women argue that these individuals face intersectional oppression based on their caste, class, and gender impacting access to resources such as education, health, and political representation.
However, opponents argue that introducing an additional quota for OBC women would decrease the seats available for the general category of women. Furthermore, they maintain that this move could lead to division within the women’s movement and may not address the root causes of discrimination faced by OBC women.
Historical Development of OBC Reservation in India
The recognition of backward classes beyond SCs and STs at a national level was first established with the Kalelkar Commission in 1953. The Mandal Commission Report in 1980 identified 1,257 backward communities and recommended increasing overall quotas to 49.5%, thus extending reservation benefits to OBCs.
In 2008, the Supreme Court directed the exclusion of the “creamy layer” among OBCs, thus ensuring the most disadvantaged benefit from reservations.
2018 saw the 102nd Constitution Amendment Act grant constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), bolstering its authority in protecting the interests of backward classes, including OBCs.
Lastly, the Justice G. Rohini Commission, established in 2017, underscores the need for sub-categorization amongst OBCs. This sub-categorization aims to distribute quotas within the existing 27% reservation to increase opportunities for historically underrepresented OBC communities.