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The Centre remaining week gave an extension to a panel analyzing sub-categorization of Different Backward Categories (OBCs) for some other six months. That is the thirteenth extension since its formation in 2017. Former Leader Justice of the Delhi Prime Court docket G Rohini, thus, has time till January 31, 2023 for the big paintings.
The call for for the sub-categorization stems from the truth that just a handful of overall OBC communities get a significant bite of the reserved jobs and seats in instructional institutes.
In an interview to Preetha Nair, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale speaks in regards to the standing of the Rohini Fee and the will for a national caste census.
Excerpts from the interview:
The Fee’s tenure is prolonged till subsequent yr. Why is the document not on time?
The Rohini Fee was once shaped by means of the Social Justice Ministry in 2017 to subcategorize round 5,000 sub-castes a few of the OBCs. It’s an onerous process to verify equitable distribution of advantages of reservation a few of the castes or communities within the class of Central record of OBCs. The fee remains to be finding out quite a lot of facets of it. Since this is a complicated matter, the fee has to seek the advice of states.
The affect is that just a phase of prosperous OBCs will get a lion’s proportion of the advantages. Is the federal government cautious of dropping beef up of sure OBCs?
I’m really not conscious about the findings of the Fee. As soon as its document is able, it must be mentioned with states. The suggestions additionally want the approval of the Cupboard. Although the panel’s preliminary mandate was once to inspect the distribution of reservation advantages on the Central degree, its phrases of reference have been expanded later. It isn’t a very simple activity.
The BJP best friend JD-U will habits a caste-based census in Bihar. Your celebration, the RPI, too, has demanded a national caste census…
I’ve at all times supported caste census. My celebration’s place is that now not handiest OBCs, all castes will have to be counted. This will likely supply transparent knowledge at the caste-based marginalization and deprivation. As soon as all castes are enumerated, we will formulate schemes for probably the most disadvantaged.
Does the caste survey performed by means of states have any constitutional validity since Census is below Union Record?
States can do surveys. Not like the Census, it’s now not legally certain. State governments are looking to enumerate the OBC inhabitants so that there’s equitable distribution of welfare schemes. Many NDA allies have demanded a caste-based census. The federal government will have to believe the call for. In Bihar, there are political compulsions.
The Centre has dominated out a caste census, announcing caste-based enumeration isn’t possible.
That’s the place of the federal government. My celebration has at all times stood for caste-based census. As an MP, I’ve raised the problem in Parliament again and again and demanded the federal government take a direct resolution. There are apprehensions that caste-based census will result in extra casteism. That’s now not the case.
Why do you root for caste-based census?
A caste census will assist determine the economically and socially disadvantaged sections. As soon as the knowledge is to be had, we will be able to design extra programmes for them. There’s a belief that OBC accounts for 52 consistent with cent of the full inhabitants. Alternatively, we wish to have a transparent estimate.
Is there an apprehension of the repeat of Mandal politics if caste census is performed?
When the Mandal Fee suggestions got here out, the overall class protested as a result of they felt that they’d lose out on reservations. Now that the NDA govt has equipped 10 consistent with cent reservation to the EWS, we shouldn’t be seeing such outrage.
