15 new castes added to central OBC list

THE COMMISSION’S RECOMMENDATIONS

NEW DELHI: The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to the central list of other backward classes (OBCS) to include 28 communities in eight states, including Uttarakhand which goes to the polls early next year.

The other seven states are Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, J&K and Jharkhand. A total of 28 changes were recommended by the National Commission for Backward Class (NCBC) in these states. have been included in the central list, 15 are new entries while nine were sub-castes and four were corrections.

The changes will enable the people belonging to these castes/ communities to avail the benefits services and posts as well as in central educational institutions according to the existing policy. They will also become eligible for benefits under various welfare schemes, scholarships etc. that are administered by the Centre persons belonging to OBCS.

So far, on the recommendation of the NCBC, a total of 2479 entries for inclusion, including its synonyms, sub-castes, etc. in the central list of OBC have been notified in 25 states and six union territories. The last such notification was issued till September, 2016.

The NCBC scrutinises appeals for inclusion of any class of citizens as a backward class in the lists and hears complaints of over-inclusion or under-inclusion of any backward class in such lists.

The commission’s advice is