Union Cabinet nod for term extension of OBC panel

Why in News?

  • The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended the term of Commission constituted to examine the Sub-Categorization within Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Central List for a total of six months beyond 30th November 2018 and till 31st May 2019. It is the fourth extension which has been given to the commission for the submission of its report on the creation of quotas with quotas.

    • Highlights:

    • With the approval of President, a five-member commission was constituted under article 340 of the constitution by the Union Government in October 2017.
    • This commission is headed by former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice (Retd.) G Rohini. The report of the commision is likely to recommend sub-quotas for the extremely backward classes in the OBCs.
    • The article 340 of the constitution was used to constitute landmark Mandal Commission in 1979 which recommended 27 percent reservation for the socially and educationally backward classes in higher education and government jobs.
    •    In 2015, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) had recommended for OBCs to be categorized under the extremely backward, more backward classes and backward classes.
    • Around 11 states have already sub-categorized OBCs for their state services. The Union Government is adopting the same methodology for the central OBC list.

    Mandate of Sub-categorisation commission:

    • It is tasked to examine extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among castes included in broad category of OBC in central government jobs and educational institutions especially with reference to OBCs included in Central list.
    • It is also tasked to take up exercise of identifying respective castes, sub-castes, communities’ synonyms in Central List of OBCs and classify them into their respective sub-categories. It is mandated was to work out mechanism, norms, criteria and parameters, in scientific approach, for sub-categories.
    • It is mandated was to work out mechanism, norms, criteria and parameters, in scientific approach, for sub-categorization within such OBCs.
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