Sub-Categorisation of OBCs

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2 

The Union Cabinet gave the 13th extension to the Justice Rohini Commission, to submit its report.

• The commission was set up on October 2, 2017 under Article 340 of the Constitution.
• It was tasked with sub-categorisation of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and equitable distribution of benefits reserved for them.
• In 2015, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) had recommended that OBCs should be categorised into extremely backward classes, more backward classes and backward classes.

Article 340

• The President may by order appoint a Commission consisting of such persons as he thinks fit to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes within the territory of India.
• A Commission so appointed shall investigate the matters referred to them and present to the President a report.
• The President shall cause a copy of the report so presented together with a memorandum explaining the action taken thereon to be laid before each House of Parliament.

OBC Reservation

• The Kalelkar Commission, set up in 1953, was the first to identify backward classes other than the SCs and STs at the national level.
• The Mandal Commission Report, 1980 estimated the OBC population at 52% and classified 1,257 communities as backward.
• It recommended increasing the existing quotas, which were only for SC/ST, from 22.5% to 49.5% to include the OBCs.
• The central government reserved 27% of seats in union civil posts and services for OBCs under Article 16(4).
• The quotas were subsequently enforced in central government educational institutions under Article 15 (4).
• In 2008, the Supreme Court directed the central government to exclude the creamy layer (advanced sections) among the OBCs.