Other Backward Classes in India today Other Backward Classes (OBC) refer to communities that have been historically marginalized in India, and continue to face oppression and social, economic and educational isolation, but do not fall into the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes list.2
communities and sub-communities. This means the total number of individually named classes/castes in the central list is between 5,000 and 6,000.4
An application filed by Chennai based scientist E Muralidharan in 2015 under the Right To Information (RTI) Act, revealed The history of reservation for the that despite the 27 percent reservation of backward castes goes back to 1902 seats for Other Backward Castes (OBCs), when Shahu Maharaj, the ruler of the the actual number of OBC employees in princely state of Kolhapur, reserved government ministries, statutory bodies 50% jobs for backward castes (all and departments stands at under 12 communities except forward groups percent.5 such as Brahmins, Prabhus, Shenvis and Parsis).3 The question of who were The population of OBCs is not known the Scheduled Castes was debated and in India since the census data does roughly settled before Independence not account for it. Over the years there within the executive. The makers of have been demands for a caste based the Constitution left the decision of census that will help fulfil Article 16(4) classification of backward classes with of the Indian Constitution that says that the executive at the state level with an the backward classes will be provided option for the Centre to unify it. As of reservation in state services, provided 2020, there are 2,633 entries enlisted they are not adequately represented. under the central list of OBC category The government has, in 2011, conducted which comprise several classes, a Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC).
HUMAN RIGHTS IN INDIA - Status Report 2021 by IAMC
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