OBC panel asks states for details of admissions, recruitments done via quota

The commission has also sought details of population and how many OBC certificates have been issued

A month after the Narendra Modi government formed a committee to divide the Other Backwards Class into sub-groups, the panel has asked state governments to provide a caste-wise break-ups of government recruitments and admissions in higher education institutions for the last three years.

Members of the Jat community stage a campaign to be included in the Other Backward Class (OBC) list. A commission is now exploring ways to create sub-groups in the OBC list to ensure everyone caste gets quota benefit. (HT file photo)

Sub-categorisation is crucial since it could identify the most deprived of the castes among the thousands that fall under the OBC umbrella, which can then be split up in a manner that the most powerful are not able to corner the most of the quota benefits.

OBC’s currently get 27% reservation in government jobs and admissions to state-run colleges.

In October, President Ram Nath Kovind appointed a five-member Commission headed by Delhi High Court’s former chief justice G Rohini to examine sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes under Article 340 of the Constitution.

The letter, signed by commission secretary U Venkataswarulu, seeking caste details of recruitments and admissions was sent to all state governments, an official of the Odisha government said, requesting anonymity.

It also sought to know the number of OBC certificates issued, again broken up by caste.

The panel has also asked the state to give a list of caste names according to the 1931 census and a list of names that are currently in the state’s OBC list.

The government must also inform the panel of the population of each of the castes/classes listed in the OBC list and disaggregated up to the district level. The commission also wants to know if the state made any efforts to sub-categorise OBCs, according to the letter.

.