NCBC wants West Bengal, Punjab to raise OBC reservations as quota limit remains unused

National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has reportedly asked the West Bengal and Punjab govts to raise the share of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in reservations as the two states are still not fully using the 50% reservation limit.

In West Bengal, the total reservation for SCs/STs and OBCs for govt employment and education is 45% while in Punjab the same is at 37% and 35% respectively, NCBC noted. The commission, as per the report in the Times of India, thus recommended that the two opposition ruled states to enhance without delay the quota for OBCs to make full use of the limit permitted under the Supreme Court-mandated 50% cap.

NCBC has recommended the West Bengal govt to increase the quota for OBCs by 5% in government employment and educational institutions. For Punjab, the commission suggested an increase of 13% in government employment and 15% in education.


The "advisory' came amid an intensifying battle between BJP and the opposition parties over quotas. The INDIA bloc has accused BJP of aiming for 400 seats in order to eliminate quotas through a Constitutional amendment. In response, BJP has pointed out Congress's actions to reduce the quota for OBCs by categorizing Muslims as a whole as 'backward' in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

NCBC chairman Hansraj Ahir told TOI that he had been taking up this issue with the two states for quite some time but they were yet to comply. "We have yet again written to them to provide the leftover quota to OBCs," he said.

The Commission stated that in West Bengal, the quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) was 22%, 6%, and 17% respectively, totaling 45%. In the case of Punjab, the quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) was 25% and 12% respectively for government employment.

The NCBC stated that officials from the Punjab government had appeared before the commission in February. They informed that a decision to enhance the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota was in advanced stages and they would comply at the earliest. However, Ahir expressed displeasure and said "action taken and concerns still remain unanswered'.