The state government of Rajasthan on 26 October 2017 passed a bill that increased the reservation quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC) from 21 per cent to 26 per cent.
The Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Bill will provide reservation to the five ‘most backward’ OBC communities:
- Gujjars
- Banjara,Baldiya, Labana
- Gadiya Lohar, Gadoliya
- Raika, Rebari, Debasi
- Gadariya, Gadri, Gayari
Key Highlights
• The five communities were earlier grouped as the special backward classes (SBC).
• The government had tabled the Bill in assembly's monsoon session in 2017.
• The main aim of the bill is to provide reservation in educational institutions and state jobs for the category of more backward classes within the backward classes.
• The government tabled the Bill in the wake of widespread agitation by the Gujjar community demanding reservation under the backward class’s category.
With this five per cent increase in OBC quota, the total percentage of quotas in Rajasthan has crossed 50 per cent. Now the total quota in the state stands at 54 per cent which includes 26 percent for OBCs, 16 percent for SCs and 12 per cent for STs.
This move is in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines that say that the total quota in government jobs and educational institutes for different reserved categories in the state should not exceed beyond 50 per cent.
In 2016 however, the Rajasthan High Court had struck down the state government's attempt to grant 5 percent quota to Gujjars as it would have shot the overall reservation quota.
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