NCBC: Backward Classes Commission recommended increasing OBC quota in Bengal and Punjab, know what is the situation now
NCBC: NCBC has recommended increasing reservation for OBCs in employment by an additional 13 percent in Punjab, taking the total reservation for the OBC category to 25 percent.
The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has recommended increasing the reservation quota in employment for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Punjab and West Bengal. The Commission's decision comes after reviewing the existing reservation policies, oral statements, and documentary evidence, to comply with the directions given by the Supreme Court in the Indira Sawhney case.
Currently, Punjab has implemented a 37 percent reservation policy in the employment sector, with 25 percent going to Scheduled Castes and 12 percent going to Other Backward Class (OBC) individuals. In order to bring the total percentage of reservations for the OBC category to 25%, NCBC has recommended raising the reservation for OBCs in employment by an additional 13% in Punjab. The fact that the Supreme Court has set a 50% reservation cap for socially and educationally disadvantaged classes is noteworthy. In an appearance before the NCBC on February 22, DK Tiwari, the Additional Chief Secretary for the Punjab government, reaffirmed the state's commitment to putting the commission's recommendations into practice.
35 new castes/communities have been included in the OBC category in West Bengal. A total of 179 OBC communities are listed in the state list of OBCs in West Bengal. There are 81 castes in Category 'A' (More Backward), out of which 73 castes belong to the Muslim religion. There are 98 castes in Category 'B' (Backward), out of which 45 communities belong to the Muslim religion. Reservation for Category 'A' (More Backward) is 10 percent and reservation for Category 'B' (Backward) is seven percent. The reservation quota for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes for employment in West Bengal is 22 percent, 6 percent, and 17 percent respectively. NCBC says that the remaining five percent reservation in employment for OBCs under the state government can be increased to the extent of 50 percent in compliance with the Supreme Court order.
