The Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has considered proposals to include 365 castes and communities on the Central list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The National Commission for Backward Classes evaluates requests, forms a panel, and sends recommendations to the Union government. The NCBC conducts public hearings and consultations.
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The Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry informed the Lok Sabha that the National Commission for Backward Classes has considered proposals to include 365 castes and communities on the Central list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Other Backward Classes (OBC) refers to all citizens who are socially and educationally backward. The "creamy layer" principle is used for reservation under OBCs categories, which means that individuals in the OBC category who are no longer backwards in terms of social and economic standing should be excluded.
Article 15(4) empowers the government to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally disadvantaged groups, such as educational institution reservations, financial assistance, scholarships, and housing.
Article 16(4) empowers the state to reserve appointments or posts for OBCs.
The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) evaluates requests for inclusion. The NCBC forms a panel to review proposals and sends recommendations to the Union government, which then forwards them to the Cabinet for approval. Legislation is passed with Cabinet approval, and the President announces the change.
National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)The idea of a permanent body was first proposed in the Kaka Kalelkar and B.P. Mandal Commission's recommendations. The NCBC was established following the Indra Sawhney case (1992) and the passage of the NCBC Act (1993). Under the 102nd Constitution Amendment Act of 2018, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was granted constitutional status. It investigates complaints and welfare measures for socially and educationally backward classes and has the authority to recommend the inclusion or exclusion of castes from the OBC list. It has five members: a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, and three additional members appointed by the President. The President also sets the terms of service and tenure for these members. |
The Central List of OBCs is a list of castes and communities that are eligible for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions under the Central Government's policy. It is managed by the NCBC, which advises the government on OBC issues.
According to the Mandal Commission, social, educational, and economic backwardness are the criteria used to include new castes. Before recommending the inclusion or exclusion of any caste, the NCBC conducts public hearings and consultations.
Inclusion of new castes may result in dissatisfaction from certain segments of society, allegations of vote-bank politics, and demands for reservations from other castes.
There are several difficulties in effectively implementing reservation policies such as identification, and verification of the real beneficiaries.
The inclusion of new castes in the OBCs list should be seen as a positive step toward social justice and empowerment. The government should ensure the effective implementation of reservation policies and engage in dialogue with communities that are dissatisfied with the current policy.
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Source:
The Hindu
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q.Critically analyse the effectiveness of the reservation system in achieving social and educational empowerment for historically disadvantaged communities in India. (150 words) |
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