Five member panel set up for equitable OBC quota

NEW DELHI: The Centre has constituted a five-member commission that will examine how Other Backward Castes can be sub-categorised to ensure a more equitable distribution of reservation.

The panel will be headed by G Rohini, who retired earlier this year as the first woman chief justice of the Delhi high court. The commission will submit its report on the politically sensitive issue in three months.

The decision to appoint the commission follows an August 23 Cabinet decision to examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among caste and communities included in the broad list of OBCs. At present, there is no sub-categorisation and 27% reservation is a monolithic entity.

The sub-categorisation within OBC list could ensure a more equitable distribution of reservation as per numerical population. Other members of the Commission include member director of Chennai-based Centre for Policy Studies, JK Bajaj, the Anthropological Survey of India director, Registrar General and Census Commissioner and joint secretary of social justice and empowerment ministry.

The commission would examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among castes or communities included in the broad category of OBCs in the Central list, work out mechanism, criteria, norms and parameters in a scientific approach for sub-categorisation and take up the exercise of identifying respective castes or communities or subcastes or synonyms in the Central list of OBCs and classify them into their respective sub-categories.

The commission is required to present its report to President Ram Nath Kovind within 12 weeks. On receipt of the Report of the Commission, the Centre will consider ways and means for equitable distribution of the benefits of the reservation in Central government jobs and admission in Central government institutions among all strata of OBCs.