19 castes from Maha added to OBC list

The NCBC has added 19 Maharashtra castes to the central OBC list, benefiting them and potentially aiding the ruling Mahayuti alliance in upcoming elections.

Mumbai: The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has cleared the inclusion of 19 castes and sub-castes from Maharashtra in the central list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The move is significant not only because of the benefits it would bring these castes but because of the edge it could give the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

19 castes from Maha added to OBC list

The NCBC, under the chairmanship of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Parliament, Hansraj Ahir, who hails from Chandrapur in Maharashtra, has approved the inclusion of castes and sub-castes from the state list in the central list of OBCs. These include Badgujar, Suryavanshi Gujar, Leve Gujar, Reve Gujar and Reva Gujar.

The commission has also taken independent note of castes such as Powar, Bhoyar and Pawar, and has approved their inclusion in the central list of OBCs. Along with that, the commission has given its approval to include the sub-castes of the Beldar caste, like Kapewar, Munnar Kapewar, Munnar Kapu, Telanga, Pentareddy and Bukekari, in the central OBC list.

In addition, the national commission under Ahir has approved the inclusion of a few castes in the central list on the recommendation of the Maharashtra government. These are the Lodh, Lodha, Lodhi and Dangari castes.

Once a caste or a sub-caste is included in the central list of OBCs, people from those communities become eligible for benefits like concessions in the age limit for UPSC exams, access to central quotas in education and employment, and being entitled to scholarships given to OBCs in the central list.

But, right now, attention is focused on the impending assembly elections in Maharashtra, and it will be interesting to see how the NCBC’s move plays out. The Mahayuti alliance has been resisting demands from the Maratha community for reservations in the OBC quota, and is betting big on support from the OBCs. The latter’s support is, in fact, central to the alliance’s election strategy in the state.