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, December 13, 2011

Cabinet clears expansion of OBC list


The Union cabinet has approved changes to the list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), a move that could add nearly a hundred new castes to the category nationwide and make the ongoing caste census easier.
The cabinet on Wednesday also gave its nod to a draft law to curb malpractices in higher education.
OBCs are socially and economically disadvantaged communities entitled to 27% reservation in public sector jobs and higher education. They form around 40% of the national population, according to a 2004-05 National Sample Survey Organisation report. The government changes the OBC list according to the socio-economic upliftment of these communities.
The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) had advised the government to amend the list of OBCs in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, the government said in a statement. “Accordingly, the ministry of social justice and empowerment would make amendments in the central list.”
NCBC member Shakeel-uz-Zaman Ansari said the decision “will help the government move ahead with the categorization of castes under the socio-economic caste-based census which it is working on”.
India’s first census of castes since 1931 is due to be released this year. It is meant to improve the execution of various welfare programmes for disadvantaged groups, particularly a proposed law on food security.
A person familiar with the development said the new list will not only include new castes but also the alternative names of the same castes in various states, as well as spelling corrections of some caste names.
“The number of additions could be as high as 100 (castes),” said this person, asking not to be identified.
“Major changes have happened in Kerala, Maharashtra and West Bengal,” Ansari said. “In West Bengal, the number of OBCs has been expanded. Besides, the lists for OBCs in Jharkhand and Uttarakhand after their bifurcation from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (respectively) have been updated.”
Analysts said the move could have political overtones.
“The ongoing caste census is facing opposition from several political parties and this move in some way is aimed at neutralizing that criticism. This also expresses willingness at winning new vote base or expanding the existing base,” said Praveen Jha, associate professor at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
“But the political situation in our country is unique and such moves can take any unpredictable direction,” Jha said.
The cabinet also approved amendments suggested by a parliamentary standing committee to a draft law that aims to curtail malpractices in higher education.
The Bill was initially introduced in Parliament in May 2010. It will now be called Prohibition of Unfair Practice in Higher Education Bill, 2011, and be introduced again in the winter session of Parliament, said officials at the human resource development (HRD) ministry.

The Bill proposes punishment for colleges, teachers or institute managements soliciting capitation fee, among other measures. It will cover all institutes of higher education except agricultural universities.
“This Bill is prepared on the assumption that education players are criminals, and anything built on this parameter can never be right,” said a senior administrator of a university in Punjab, asking not to be identified. “Education entrepreneurs are passionate people and it is definitely discouraging as it has provisions to send educationists to jail. It will prevent private investment in education sector.”
An HRD ministry official, however, said a number of complaints about malpractices are being filed, necessitating the move. “Those education entrepreneurs who are clean should not fear at all,” said the official, requesting anonymity.
The cabinet also approved increasing by 50% the outlay of Rs  250 crore under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, which helps entrepreneurs setting up of micro-enterprises.

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