NEW DELHI: Having embarked on an exercise to create sub-categories of backward castes in the central list, the Rohini Commission is likely to prefer “neutral” tags for each group which steer clear of suggesting social progress or backwardness to prevent heartburn or backlash within OBC sections.

The panel may choose labels bearing numerals or letters to denote the groups that it may recommend the OBC list should be divided into. The idea is to create sub-quotas for more backward OBCs who are seen to be disadvantaged by the more dominant backward castes bagging a larger share of reservations.

The Rohini panel may prefer the sub-categories crafted by Andhra Pradesh, where OBCs are divided into “A, B, C, D, E”, or Karnataka which sub-groups of OBCs named as “1, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B”.

Designed to ensure “equitable distribution of reservation benefits”, sub-categorisation entails division of the OBC list into groups, with 27% Mandal reservation apportioned among them in proportion to their share of the total backward caste population.

As a consequence, the “forwards among backwards”, who are seen to disproportionately corner the quota benefits, would be eligible for only one portion of the 27% quantum contrary to the present scenario when their share is unlimited.

The rest of the 27% quota would be the dedicated sub-quota for “most backward” groups which would help them avoid competing with “forwards among backwards”.

As it happens, sub-categorisation is expected to anger the “forwards among backwards” as they emerge losers. These groups are typically politically and economically more assertive and have a larger clout.

To avoid stoking their reaction further, the commission is likely to avoid appellations for new sub-groups on the lines of “most backward” and “extremely backward” as is prevalent in political discussions. These are the sort of labels adopted by states like Bihar and Tamil Nadu .

Through an analysis of data of recruitments in mass-employing central departments and banks, the commission found that 10 castes have availed 25% of benefits while 38 other castes have cornered another quarter of the benefits. About 22% of benefits have been availed by 506 other castes. In contrast, 2.68% benefits have been shared by 994 castes while 983 castes have not availed any benefits.

Having established that certain castes are monopolising the quota benefits, the commission would now recommend the division of the central list of OBCs accordingly. The Centre constituted the Rohini Commission in October 2017, and its report had appeared imminent before the Lok Sabha elections but it was granted another extension taking its tenure to May 31. Its term was recently extended by two more months till July 2019.

