Cabinet extends tenure of OBC sub-categorisation commission 11th time

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has extended the term of the Commission constituted to examine the issue of sub-categorisation within Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Central list by six months up to January 31 next year.

According to a statement issued after the Cabinet committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, the order of extension of the term of the Commission by six months beyond July 31 this year and till January 31, 2022 would be notified with the approval of the President.

As per the decision of the Union Cabinet on Wednesday, this is the 11th extension of the term of the Commission constituted under Article 340 of the Constitution.

In the statement, the Union government said that the proposed extension of tenure and addition in its terms of reference shall enable the Commission to submit a comprehensive report on the issue of sub-categorisation of OBCs, after consultation with the various stakeholders.

It was in 2017, the Narendra Modi government constituted the Justice Rohini Commission to examine the sub-categorisation of the Other Backward Classes for having equitable redistribution of the 27% quota for the Other Backward Castes (OBC),

According to the reply in Lok Sabha, the Commission was set up to "examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the castes or communities included in the broad category of Other Backward Classes with reference to such classes included in the Central List"; "To work out the mechanism, criteria, norms and parameters in a scientific approach for sub-categorisation within such Other Backward Classes"; and "To take up the exercise of identifying the respective castes or communities or sub-castes or synonyms in the Central List of Other Backward Classes and classifying them into their respective sub-categories."

The four-member Commission is headed by Justice (Retd) G Rohini, Chief Justice (Retd), Delhi High Court with the other three members being (a) Dr. JK Bajaj, Director, Centre for Policy Studies, New Delhi (b) Director, Anthropological Survey of India, Kolkata(ex-officio Member) (c) Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. (ex-officio Member). Justice G. Rohini, Chairperson of the Commission belongs to the OBC community.