New Delhi: Just about 40 of 5,000-6,000 castes/communities among the OBCs (other backward classes) — which constitute less than 1 per cent — have cornered 50 per cent of the reservation benefits in admissions to central educational institutions and recruitment to central services, a panel constituted by the government has found.
According to the panel, formed to examine the sub-categorisation of OBCs in October 2017, around 20 per cent of OBC communities did not get any quota benefit between 2014 and 2018. The findings were shared with ThePrint by the members of the panel, whose mandate requires it to look at the distribution of reservation benefits at the central level.
Led by retired Delhi High Court chief justice G. Rohini, the commission got its ninth extension, for six months, on 24 June.
The OBCs are eligible for a 27 per cent quota in government jobs and education institutions.
Sub-categorisation of OBCs, which comprise thousands of communities, castes etc, has been a long-standing demand among some sections to ensure better distribution of reservation benefits.
The issue of sub-categorisation assumes significance ahead of the Bihar assembly elections scheduled in November, as caste politics is known to play a dominant role in deciding poll outcomes in the state.
The extension given to the panel last month was seen as the ruling BJP’s attempt not to stir the caste cauldron ahead of the Bihar assembly elections.
While OBC reservation in government jobs was introduced in 1993, the education quota came into force in 2006.
Pointing to the inequity in the availing of quota benefits, members of the Justice Rohini panel said sub-categorisation had become “urgent and inescapable”.
Also Read: OBC panel to press Modi govt to double ‘creamy layer’ income ceiling to Rs 16 lakh
‘The same results’
The Justice Rohini panel was to submit its report within 12 weeks of formation. It started working with data from 2014-17, but subsequently got updated numbers until 2018 amid term extensions.
“The latest data that we have compiled is upto 2018. And it has thrown up the same results as before,” J.K. Bajaj, a member of the panel, told ThePrint.
According to the commission, between 2014 and 2018, there were about 13,000 OBC admissions to IITs, more than 3,000 to the IIMs, and over 60,000 to various other central universities.
Who has cornered the most benefit
The central list of OBC has 2,633 entries. According to the commission, many of the 2,633 entries comprise several classes, communities and sub-communities, etc, which means the total number of individually named classes/castes in the central list is between 5,000 and 6,000.
The findings of the panel so far suggest that 25 per cent of the reservation benefits were availed of by communities listed in 10 entries of the central list. Another 25 per cent were availed of by communities listed in another 38 entries.
The commission also found that 20 per cent of the communities, listed in 983 entries, could not avail of any benefits. Those in another 994 had a share of just 2.68 per cent.
Bajaj told ThePrint that the data shows gross inequity in the benefits of reservations enjoyed by different communities. “The level of inequity is such that it makes the exercise of sub-categorisation among the OBCs urgent and inescapable,” Bajaj said.
Also Read: Wary of blowback during Bihar polls, Modi govt puts OBC creamy layer tweak on backburner
What the commission proposes
Bajaj said the commission is of the view that communities getting little or no benefits need to be given separate space to compete.
“Currently, the different communities, irrespective of their backwardness, compete together for the 27 per cent reservation,” he said.
Bajaj, however, refused to divulge how exactly they want the sub-categorisation process to take place.
Justice Rohini (Retd) told ThePrint that the matter is under discussion and different alternatives are being looked into before they finalise their recommendations.
Also Read: Centre calls for immediate action against IAS officer who submitted ‘fake’ OBC certificate
There should not be open category there should be general category. Why sc St & obc are enjoying their life
The Government has kept the OBCs holding Class 1/Group-A Officers under the creamy layer categories. Class l/Group A Officer is a very big term. Top Government posts like Secretary, Jt Secretary, Additional Secretary, Under Secretary, Deputy/Assistant Secretary, District Magistrate SDO, BDO, Deputy Magistrate, etc are Group-A Officers. Whereas Sub-assistant Engineers, Head Assistants, Section Officers, Forest Rangers, Revenue Inspectors, secondary school teachers, and Junior level Officers/Supervisors in PSU enjoying much lower salary are also considered as Class 1/Group-A Officers. How these officers can be treated at par with the IAS or state civil service officers and clubbed together as creamy layer in order to deny the benefits available under OBC(NCL) category? Officers holding rank/post below the level of BDO and drawing pay less than that of a BDO, should not be treated under creamy layer category. The relevant rules require to be amended immediately so as to specify those high officials only belonging to IAS/ State Civil Services or equal category drawing salary more than Rs Eight lakhs per annum, will come under creamy layer.
The Government has kept the OBCs holding Class 1/Group-A Officers under the creamy layer categories. Class l/Group A Officer is a very big term. Top Government posts like Secretary, It Secretary, Additional Secretary, Under Secretary, Day/Assistant Secretary, District Magistrate SDO, BDO, Deputy Magistrate, etc are Group-A Officers. Whereas Sub-assistant Engineers, Head Assistants, Section Officers, Forest Rangers, Revenue Inspectors, secondary school teachers, and Junior level Officers/Supervisors in PSU enjoying much lower salary are also considered as Class 1/Group-A Officers. How these officers can be treated at par with the IAS or state civil service officers and clubbed together as creamy layer in order to deny the benefits available under OBC(NCL) category? Officers holding rank/post below the level of BDO and drawing pay less than that of a BDO, should not be treated under creamy layer category. The relevant rules require to be amended immediately so as to specify those high officials only belonging to IAS/ State Civil Services or equal category drawing salary more than Rs Eight lakhs per annum, will come under creamy layer.
Without the details of OBC Census, It is not appropriate for the commission to make comments such as 1% category gets 50% share. Out of the 6000 listed categories 1% mean 60, If these 60 categories have a share of 25% are more in OBC population, then the sarcastic statement of the commission will be misleading. Out of the 6000, even for more than 1000 Categories their total population itself maybe less than 1% of the total OBC population.
Therefore any sarcastic statements without a comprehensive analysis linked with The census statistics of OBC will be misleading.
Exactly. The top 1% caste must have garnered 40%+ of population.
Unnecessarily creating hate against reservation.
It is not a secret that politically and financially heavy weight castes amongst OBC are cornering maximum reservation benefits at the cost of other Most Back Ward Castes. Categorization of OBCs and not too high creamy layer will benefit the Oppressed Castes amongst OBCs
ak honest request to all print writes:::
please make articles small n concise
After 70 years of reservations, now they should be scrapped. Reservations were based on economic conditions. Now even SC STs are financially sound. Scrap all reservations now. Dare to compete in open merit
You are right
Lingayath and Vakkaliga from Karnataka appeared in Central OBC list. These are most forword communities. These two communities ruling the State since Independence. Nearly sixty percent MLA are from these Communities. Nearly 80 percent of cultivated land owned by these Communities. But still they are considered as Backword.They are grabbing all oppurtnities. Sub categorisation should be effected immediately.
Lingayat is not OBC. Lingayat 16% is 3B General Merit. you are talking about lingayat in castes like vakkaliga, ganiga, hugar. Total Lingayat population is 22%. around 6% has OBC. For your facts.
The reservation was originally kept for 10 years only in the constitution.It is now 70 years and reservation is continuing and with OBC added to it.The merit is going back word as reservation is given in promotion also.It has created anomalies like ones subordinate becoming his boss sometime.70 year is long period for reserved people to become equal and every one should think again on its future.
एक कमेटी इस बात की भी बन जाती पिछले क्रमशः 70/32 सालों मे SC, ST/OBC के कितने लोगों को नोकरी मिलनी चाहिए थी और कितनी दी गई। अगर नही दी फिर उसकी मलाई कौन खा गया।
इस तरह की कमेटी सिर्फ और सिर्फ आरक्षण देने की प्रकिया को कोर्ट मे केस फसाना है।
Lol, if you will not clear paper then nobody can give you job.
The Main reason by which OBC castes are not getting benefits is that Government is not filling the vacancy. OBC VACANCIES ARE LYING VACANT EITHER BECAUSE OF HIGH CUTOFF MARKS OR REJECTION OF CANDIDATURE IN THE INTERVIEWS. The main reason behind the Sub-Categorisation is to devide the castes. This is the old phenomenon of Brahmanical Society to Rule.
Castes are fluid by nature
Not rigid
You keep on dividing sub dividing sub castes sub sub castes finally you have nucleus and atomic energy
Every state have their own list of categories of obc, sc and st and there are many caste which are in general in some states and obc and some states like “‘Yadav’are in general category in hariyana and obc in up” and these type of caste should be upgraded to general category and take example of meena in rajasthan is in st category and obc in mp so they should be uniformly given obc status in all states.
We can see this issue through one more view that is of minority issue that is their is uniformity throughout country in minority status even in some states they does not qualified to be called as minority
Or government can bring down the non creamy layer criteria to more lower income because ultimately high number of obc students or aspirants or job seeker ultimately hamper lower section in obc category.
Ps: This view is purely personal
I’m also from obc category ‘yadav’ had done b tech from iit and till date I have been studying in government institutions and from my experiences till this what I have obsery
Ahirs who use Yadav surname in Haryana are in obc
You have zero knowledge on how system works, if high numbers are applying and they clear open cut offs, they get the general seat.
The data should be compiled from states as they provide most of the reservation benefits. Looking at IIT, IIM data is just stupid and shows some kind of hidden agenda.
Separate reservation must be provided from General Seats.
You are saying because your caste is using all reservation and then do all corruption, you are the reason for all mess that India is facing
so yadav want to take full reservation in the name of obc,if obc want special reservation then they distribute the 27%reservation to all obc castes in up bihar all obc reservation taken by yadavs andvthen u tell to give extra reservation from general category.
Why so?
There is nothing like general but it is an open category, where anybody can compete. Your peanut size cannot understand this point
Similar studies for SC/ST reservations may be made. In fact this whole concept /scheme of reservations has been and is hampering the Good Governance idea. Govt jobs (public servants) are meant for the overall security or development of the polity and it is never for the security go the employed people. Merit, attitude, knowledge, skills should be the criteria for engaging public servants and not their caste or origin of birth.
The Naidu community in Tamil Nadu gets reservation for the sub-category ‘gavara’ community only, whereas there are several other sub-categories of naidu community who are unable to get the OBC reservation facility due to non-representation by the influential leaders of the state. More than ninety percent of the people from these sub-categories are either lower middle class or BPL families who essentially require OBC reservation. Hope some concerned leader or official takes cognizance of this social disability and address the grievance.
Hi Rajani, why you are saying Naidu ( gavara)communiry reservation get only in TamilNadu, Why not in Andhra ..??
Where is the OBC census with out that how can commission say this..