History of OBC Reservation

Under Article 340 of the Indian constitution it is obligatory for the government to promote the welfare of the Other Backward Classes.

The first Backward Classes Commission headed by Shri kaka kalelkar in 1953, and Mandal Commission headed by Shri B.P.Mandal in 1980 has given many useful recommendations for the welfare of Other Backward Classes. The population of OBC’s which includes Hindus and Non-Hindus was around 52% of the total population according to the commission.

27% of reservation was recommended owing to legal constraints that the total quantum of reservation should not exceed 50%.

One of the most important recommendations is that all private sector undertakings which have received financial assistance from the government in one form or another should be obliged to recruit personnel on the reservation basis. But, even after 2 decades we are unable to get it inspite of our continuous efforts.

On August 7 1990, the then Prime Minister Shri. V P Singh announced that his National Front Government was going to implement Mandal Commission recommendations in Education and jobs, inspite of strong agitations from Forward Communities. In fact, Shri V P Singh lost his power due to his mandalisation policy. The federation remembers him on this special day for his service rendered to this community.

One needs to understand the psychology of opposition of reservation to OBC’s.

When the jobs are nowhere and everything is gone private, then why are the upper castes angry with the reservation for Backward Communities?

The fact is that seats for dalits were rarely fulfilled and we have seen huge backlog. There has been no protest. It was easier to curtail the protest of the dalits because of their numbers and social background.

Now the reservation for backward communities being a reality, the powerful backward communities will hit and break the bone of upper castes. That is the fear of this community. They know that there are enough students from these communities who will join great institutes of technology and management.

The Supreme Court of India on April 10 2008 upheld the government’s move for initiating 27% OBC quotas in Govt. funded Institutions. But it is necessary for the Govt. at this juncture to exclude the creamy layer policy from the reservation quota.

To be strong in the present scenario, it is more important to show our strength and unity of OBC’s. AIOBC association work towards social justice. AIOBC is giving hand and helping us in this regard.

The issue of under-representation of the socio-economically deprived, discriminated backward caste and classes in the spheres of education, employment, administration and commerce is burning at this stage. I appeal all the member associations to work hard towards the success of the reservation policies.

Let us truly reform our society and work for a truly democratic India, where every community participates in power and every person gets their reservation in respective areas in proportion to their shares in population.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

OBC MPs meet PM, Speaker; seek parliamentary committee


NEW DELHI: Members of Parliament from different parties belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar here to seek the constitution of a parliamentary committee for OBCs to monitor implementation of reservation.

The MPs said the committee headed by an OBC MP could also look into the difficulties faced by OBCs in getting reservation in Central government jobs and educational institutions.

The MPs, part of the Parliamentary forum of OBC MPs, also told Singh that there was an urgent need to constitute a Parliamentary Committee for OBCs on the lines of the one for the Scheduled Castes and Tribes. This was needed to ensure the implementation of reservation to OBCs and see that their grievances are redressed fairly in all government departments, they said. The MPs also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister complaining that the National Commission for Backward Classes does not have any powers to inquire and investigate into the representations by OBC associations or employees. 
While money is being spent by the government on the scheme for OBCs, there is no mechanism to monitor as to whether it really reaches the deserving OBC people, they felt. "Even in respect of providing 27 per cent reservation in education, where the UPA government has earmarked a huge sum of Rs 17000 crore...to enable OBC students to enter into higher educational institutions, we have received lots of representations that the directives of the HRD ministry are being violated and the seats alloted to OBCs are being transferred to general categories," the memorandum said. The Prime Minister has assured the delegation that he will refer this matter to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, sources said.
A delegation of 50 MPs from the Parliamentary Forum of OBC headed by Rajya Sabha member and convenor V. Hanumantha Rao pointed out to Dr.Singh and Ms. Kumar that the OBC reservation policy was not implemented properly and there was no mechanism to monitor it. The signatories to the memorandum include Union Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Power Bharatsinh Solanki, the former Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh and representatives of the Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (United), Bharatiya Janata Party, AIADMK, DMK and PMK.

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