NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has recommended an increase in the reservation quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in public employment in Punjab and West Bengal.
The Commission's decision comes after a review of the current reservation policies, oral statements, and documentary evidence, aiming to align with the directives laid out by the Supreme Court in the Indra Sawhney case, according to an advisory.
Currently, Punjab allocates 25 percent of public employment positions to Scheduled Castes and 12 percent to OBCs, totaling 37 percent reservation.
The NCBC has proposed enhancing the OBC quota by an additional 13 percent, bringing the total OBC reservation in public employment to 25 percent.
This adjustment will adhere to the Supreme Court's ceiling of up to 50 percent reservation for socially and educationally backward classes.
DK Tiwari, Additional Chief Secretary of the Punjab Government, appeared before the NCBC on February 22, expressing the state's commitment to implementing the Commission's recommendations.
West Bengal's OBC categorization involves 35 newly included castes and communities.
As of date, 143 communities were included in the state list of OBCs, out of which 83 castes/communities belonged to the Muslim religion.
A total of 179 OBC communities are enlisted in the state list of OBCs in West Bengal. Category 'A' (more backward) contains 81 castes out of which 73 communities belong to the Muslim religion and Category 'B' (Backward) contains 98 out of which 45 communities belong to the Muslim religion. Reservation for Category 'A' (More Backward) is 10 percent, and Category 'B' (Backward) is seven percent.
Reservation quotas for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes are 22 percent, six percent, and 17 percent, respectively, in respect of services and posts under the control of West Bengal in establishments run or aided by the government.
"By issuance of notifications, 17 percent reservation for the Other Backward Classes in respect of services and posts under the government of West Bengal has been ensured. Thus, the total reservation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes for public employment comes to 45 percent," it said.
The NCBC observed that the remaining five percent quota in public employment under the control of the state government may be enhanced with respect to OBCs as per the ceiling up to 50 percent in compliance with Supreme Court directions.