The Union Cabinet has recently granted a six-month extension, up to 31st January 2022, to the commission responsible for examining the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). This marks the eleventh extension for the said commission since its inception, originally slated to submit its report in March 2018.
About: The Objective and Purpose
The primary objective of the commission is to prepare a comprehensive report addressing the issue of OBC sub-categorisation after consultations with various stakeholders. The commission is tasked with devising a mechanism, criteria, norm, and parameters via a scientific approach for this sub-categorisation within OBCs. It will also identify the specific castes or communities or sub-castes or synonyms enlisted in the Central List of OBCs and organise them into their respective sub-categories.
Commission: The Rohini Commission
This commission, also known as the Rohini Commission, was constituted under Article 340 of the Constitution with Presidential approval on 2nd October 2017. Its core mission is to sub-categorise approximately 5000 castes in the central OBC list to ensure a more equitable distribution of opportunities in central government jobs and educational institutions. Back in 2015, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) proposed categorising OBCs into three groups – extremely backward classes, more backward classes, and backward classes. The NCBC possesses the authority to scrutinise complaints and welfare measures concerning socially and educationally backward classes.
Work Done: Progress So Far
The Commission has engaged with representatives of state governments, state backward classes commissions, and community associations to gather necessary inputs. It has also compiled caste-wise data of OBCs in higher educational institutions and records of recruits in central departments, public sector banks, and financial institutions. Earlier this year, the commission proposed subdividing OBCs into four subcategories numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4. Furthermore, it divided the 27% reservation into 2, 6, 9, and 10% for these four subcategories, respectively. Other recommendations included complete digitisation of all OBC records and a standardised system for issuing OBC certificates.
Possible Outcomes: Expected Benefits
Potentially, the commission might put forth recommendations that will be beneficial for communities in the current list of OBCs. These communities have not hitherto obtained any significant benefits from the OBC reservation scheme for appointment in central government posts or for admission in central government educational institutions.
Article 340 of the Indian Constitution
Under Article 340 of the Indian Constitution, the President can appoint a Commission to investigate the conditions and difficulties faced by socially and educationally backward classes within India. The appointed Commission will then present a report outlining both the facts found and any recommendations deemed appropriate. The President is required to present a copy of this report before each House of Parliament along with a memorandum explaining the action taken based on the recommendations.
OBC Reservation: The Journey
The Kalelkar Commission, established in 1953, was the first to identify backward classes other than the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) at the national level. In 1980, the Mandal Commission Report estimated the OBC population to be 52% and recognised 1,257 communities as backward, recommending an increase in existing quotas from 22.5% to 49.5% to account for OBCs. Consequently, the central government reserved 27% of seats in union civil posts and services for OBCs under Article 16(4). Later, the same quota was enforced in central government educational institutions under Article 15(4). In 2008, the Supreme Court directed the central government to exclude the advanced sections—the ‘creamy layer’—among the OBCs. The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was granted constitutional status via the 102nd Constitution Amendment Act, 2018, having previously been a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.