The Telangana government has recommended inclusion of 40 castes in the Central List of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The recommendation is vital as OBCs comprise almost half of the poll-bound state’s population and are electorally significant. Inclusion in the list helps socially and educationally backward classes to tap into 27% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. At present, there are 87 castes from Telangana on the central OBC list. The state government has forwarded recommendations for inclusion of 40 more castes to the National Commission of Backward Classes (NCBC).

The commission, which had acquired a constitutional status in 2018, is examining the proposal. As per government guidelines, while the states have jurisdiction over inclusion of castes in the state list, they have to send their recommendations to the Centre for castes to be included in the Central List of OBCs.

States send their recommendations to NCBC, which in turn holds public hearings to determine social and educational backwardness of a particular community. The commission also goes into detailed justification regarding the community and then sends its recommendations to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, which in turn drafts an amendment for consideration of Parliament.

“The requests from Telangana are being examined,” NCBC chairman Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said.

At present, the inclusion of more castes and communities in the central list is hanging fire as the social justice and empowerment ministry is awaiting the Justice G Rohini Commission report.

“The decision to include more castes in the central list is linked to Justice Rohini Commission report. Once it weeds out the central list, a call will be taken on all inclusions and exclusions,” a senior ministry official, who did not wish to be identified, told ET.The commission was constituted in October 2017 to bring order in the Central List of OBCs by weeding out repetitions and varying spellings, examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation and sub-categorisation of OBCs for providing reservation to the categories which are actually backward. The Rohini commission had to give its report in 12 weeks but has already got 14 extensions and has not submitted the report.The central government is walking a political tightrope over OBC reservation. The Telangana government can easily pass the buck on the Centre for keeping inclusion of castes in the central list in abeyance.