Quota within quota: UP govt planning to rejig OBC reservation on basis of ‘population, social status’ of different castes

Preparations are underway in Uttar Pradesh to rejig OBC reservation on the basis of the population and social status of different castes.

The govt’s move has made it a big political issue in Uttar Pradesh.

Yogi Adityanath government had formed a social justice committee, headed by Justice Raghvendra Kumar, to make a recommendation in this regard.

The committee, in its report, has recommended that the 27 percent OBC reservation should be divided in three parts. The committee divides OBC in three categories – Backward (Pichhda), Most Backward (Ati Pichhada) and Extremely Backward (Atyanta Pichhada).

The committee calls for 7 per cent reservation for backward castes, 11 per cent reservation for most backward castes and 9 per cent reservation for extremely backward castes.

However, the move has not gone down well with some of the allies of the BJP. Apna Dal leader and Union minister Anupriya Patel has said that her party will not support any such move until the data of caste census comes out in public domain.