Panel set up to examine sub-categorisation of OBCs gets 13th extension: Govt sources

The Union Cabinet is learnt to have given its nod to a proposal to grant a fresh six-month extension to the Justice Rohini Commission, set up to examine the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes and equitable distribution of benefits reserved for them, government sources said. This is the 13th extension given to the commission to submit its report.

The government had constituted the commission on October 2, 2017 under Article 340 of the Constitution to examine the issues related to the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes.

The sources said the extension has been granted up to January 31, 2023.

The development comes a month after Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry Secretary R Subrahmanyam had told reporters that the commission had not sought any more extension and would submit its report by this July-end when its present term ends.

The mandate of the commission includes examining 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, working out the mechanism, criteria, norms and parameters in a scientific approach for their sub-categorisation.

The commission’s mandate is also 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.