Jobs, admissions: 97% of Central OBC quota benefits go to just under 25% of its castes 

Jobs, admissions: 97% of Central OBC quota benefits go to just under 25% of its castes 

News:Commission to Examine Sub-Categorisation of OBCs has found 97% of Central OBC quota benefits go to just under 25% of its castes in jobs and admissions reserved at the Central level.

Facts:

• The commission has been tasked with examining the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the OBC castes and also work out the mechanism for sub-categorization to ensure equitable reservation.
• While reservation in jobs for OBCs was implemented in 1993, reservations in admissions in Central government institutions (both 27 per cent) was implemented in 2006.

Findings of the report

• 938 OBC sub-castes – which make up 37% of the total number – have no representation at all in the reserved seats
• Keeping in mind their numbers, their backwardness and their regional spread the Commission has proposed to “sub-categorise” the OBCs.
• Share of several states in OBC quotas is much higher than their share in the population of India also there are many states with much lower share in benefits than their share in the population.
• The key idea is not to create a new hierarchy among OBCs but a more level playing field for all.

Sub-categorisation of OBCs.

• Sub-categorisation will divide the OBCs into two groups: the more affluent ones and the less affluent ones.
• Currently, the more affluent OBC communities are better placed at taking advantage of the 27% reservation for OBCs in central government jobs and educational institutions.
• Dividing this 27% reservation into two will mean that the less affluent OBC communities will be able to get somewhat more seats in jobs and colleges.
• The sub-categorization of OBCs will also ensure increased access to benefits such as reservations in educational institutions and government jobs for less dominant OBCs.

Challenges:

• Lack of authenticate sources which provides a reliable estimate of the population of individual castes and communities included in the Central list.
• Few states/UTs have adopted some kind of sub-categorisation for their OBC lists but none of them seems to have proposed any clearly criterion for placing a community in one category or the other.