Panel submits report on sub-categorisation of OBCs after 6 years

Source: The post is based on the article “Panel submits report on sub-categorisation of OBCs after 6 years”  published in The Hindu on 2nd August 2023

What is the News?

The report of a Rohini Commission set up to examine the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) has been submitted to the President.

However, the contents of the report have not been made public as yet.

What is the need for sub-categorisation of OBCs?

OBCs get 27% reservation in central government jobs and admission to educational institutions. 

There are more than 2,600 entries in the Central List of OBCs but over the years only a few affluent communities among them have benefited from the quota. 

Therefore, there is an argument that a “sub-categorisation” of OBCs — quotas within the 27% quota — is needed in order to ensure “equitable distribution” of the benefits of reservation.

What were the terms of reference of the Rohini Commission?

Examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the castes or communities included in the broad category of OBCs with reference to such classes included in the Central List.

Work out the mechanism, criteria, norms and parameters in a scientific approach for sub-categorisation within such OBCs  and

Take up the exercise of identifying the respective castes or communities or sub-castes or synonyms in the Central List of OBCs and classifying them into their respective sub-categories.

How did the work of the commission proceed till now?

In 2018, the commission analyzed the data of 1.3 lakh central government jobs under the OBC quota over the preceding five years, and OBC admissions to central higher education institutions, including universities, IITs, NITs, IIMs and AIIMS, over the preceding three years.

The analysis showed 97% of all jobs and education seats have gone to 25% of OBC castes and 24.95% of these jobs and seats have gone to just 10 OBC communities. 

As many as 983 OBC communities — 37% of the total — were found to have zero representation in jobs and educational institutions and 994 OBC sub-castes had a representation of only 2.68% in recruitments and admissions. 

However, this analysis suffered from limitations due to the absence of updated population data.