New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has sought detailed information from the Bihar government on the socio-economic and educational status of 18 castes that the state wants to be added to the central list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
The move follows a public hearing in Patna last week, where NCBC chairperson Hansraj Ahir, along with Commission member Bhuwan Bhushan Kamal, met senior state officials and community representatives to review the long-pending proposal.
“We have requested the state government to provide updated data on the 18 communities. Another meeting may be held within a month,” Ahir said.
According to officials, the Bihar government has informed the Commission that it is still collecting the required data and has asked for more time to complete the process.
The NCBC is the statutory body responsible for evaluating such requests and advising the Centre on inclusion or exclusion of communities in the list.
Several of the proposed castes, such as Chhippi, Sayee, and Itfarosh/Gadheri, are already part of the central OBC list, but the state has sought recognition for smaller sub-groups within these categories.
The list also includes both Hindu and Muslim communities such as Batham Vaishya, Biyahut Kalwar, Modak/Mayra, Sainthwar, Samri Vaishya, Surjapuri Muslim and Ibrahimi.
Ahir noted that the Commission has been considering similar proposals from other states as well.
“We had earlier recommended the inclusion of 15 castes and sub-groups from Maharashtra in the central OBC list,” he said.
The demand from Bihar comes against the backdrop of its 2023 caste survey, which found that Other Backward Classes make up 27 per cent of the state’s population, while Extremely Backward Classes account for 36 per cent. PTI UZM UZM RT RT
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