Rohini Panel Submits Long-Awaited Report: What Is ‘Sub-Categorisation’ Of OBCs?

Relevance: GS1 - Population and Associated Issues; GS2 - Government Policies & Interventions

(Source: Indian Express, 08/03/2023)

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Why in the news?

• Recently, the long awaited report for the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBC) caste groups was submitted to the President Droupadi Murmu.
• A four-member commission headed by Justice G Rohini was appointed to examine this issue and suggest corrective measures to ensure equitable distribution of benefits among OBC communities.

About Justice Rohini Commission

• The commission was set up on October 2, 2017, under Article 340 of the Constitution.
• It was tasked with sub-categorisation of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and equitable distribution of benefits reserved for them.
• It was headed by former Delhi High Court judge, Justice G. Rohini.

What are the Terms of Reference of the Rohini Commission?

• Examining Inequitable Distribution: The commission was to assess the extent of uneven allocation of reservation benefits among various OBC castes or communities included in the Central List.
• Mechanism for Sub-Categorization: It was mandated to devise a scientific approach, criteria, norms, and parameters for the sub-categorization within the broader OBC category.
• Identifying and Classifying: The commission was required to identify and classify specific castes, communities, sub-castes, or synonyms in the Central List of OBCs into their respective sub-categories.
• Identifying any discrepancies or errors: The commission was tasked with examining the entries in the Central List of OBCs and suggesting necessary revisions to address issues such as repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies, and errors in spelling or transcription.

Findings of the Report

• The Commission's analysis of 1.3 lakh central jobs and OBC admissions to central higher education institutions unveiled a significant disparity.
• Unequal Distribution: It showed that 97% of the total opportunities were concentrated by only 25% of the OBC sub-castes and 24.95% of these jobs and seats have gone to just 10 OBC communities.
• Underrepresented OBC Communities: Around 37% of the total OBC communities, amounting to 983 groups, were identified as having absolutely no representation within both job positions and educational institutions.
• Limited Representation: Within the framework of OBC sub-castes, a mere 2.68% representation in terms of recruitments and admissions was observed among 994 OBC sub-castes.

Challenges faced by the Rohini Commission

• Absence of data: The analysis suffered with the lack of accurate and updated data regarding the population of various OBC communities.
• Delayed in data collection: While the Census 2021 was intended to collect data on OBCs, the pandemic delayed the process.
• Demand for Caste Census: Various political parties and OBC groups have advocated for a caste census to provide accurate population data for informed policy decisions.
  • The Patna High Court's recent dismissal of a challenge paved the way for a caste survey in Bihar.

Conclusion

The sub-categorization of OBCs aims to address the unequal distribution of reservation benefits within this group. The Justice Rohini Commission's efforts to classify and balance opportunities for various OBC communities reflect the need for more equitable representation.

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FAQs

MCQ

Question: Consider the following statements: (UPSC 2019)

1. National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was set up in 1993
2. 102nd Amendment Act of 2018 conferred a constitutional status on the Commission

Which of the following statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2