Panel Report That May Lead to Quota Within OBC Quota Unlikely Before 2019 Polls

New Delhi: Even after five extensions, the Justice (Retd) G Rohini commission appointed to prepare a report on the sub-categorisation of the Other Backward Classes would not be submitting its report to the Centre before May 31 this year.

Sources have told News18 that the commission will not be able to submit the report considering paucity of data and the rounds of meetings needed with the stakeholders. “It’s unlikely that the report would be ready before May 31. We are still meeting and discussing certain issues,” a member of the panel told News18.

The Commission was appointed to look into sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the central list. It was appointed by President Ram Nath Kovind. The stratification of the OBC quota could lead to a quota within quota for OBCs, a move that may have far reaching impact on national politics.

This could affect educationally and socially advanced communities within the backward classes like Yadavs, who are considered to have benefited from the policy of positive discrimination recommended by the Mandal Commission.

News18 had earlier reported that the Commission set up to recommend ways for an equitable distribution of OBC reservations has proposed a three-tier approach for sub-categorisation of backward communities in the central backward classes list.

The share of representation in central superior services and elite institutions, like IITs and IIMs, is one of the proposed parameters to determine the relative backwardness of the community within the larger OBC block.

In a consultation paper shared with stake holders, the Justice (Retd) G Rohini headed panel had proposed that the castes in the central list be sub-divided on the basis of the “quantum of benefits” they currently enjoy in central government services and education institutions.

The commission at the second stage of the sub-categorisation process proposes to normalize this central list with state OBC lists, to ensure communities with similar attributes and social status are grouped together — the parameter being traditional occupation and share in superior central services.

The share of reservations of each group within the overall OBC block thus sub-categorized may however be determined on the basis of their relative population at the all India level

However, now News18 has learnt that the primary hurdle being faced by the commission is the caste data and that Justice G Rohini commission is also looking at ways to enumerate it.

It has also obtained caste-wise records of the OBCs admitted in higher educational institutions and recruits in central government departments, central, central public sector undertakings, public sector banks and financial institutions.

“Based on the emanating information from the processed and analyzed data, the Commission has said that a round of discussion with the States and their Backward Classes Commissions was required before finalizing the sub-categorized lists and the report,” the government said.

The President had appointed the Commission on October 2, 2017, two months after the Union Cabinet approved a proposal of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in this connection.