How Narendra Modi’s policies have empowered OBCs and wooed them​ to BJP

Hailing the passage of the OBC Invoice within the monsoon session of Parliament in 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned that it underscored his authorities’s dedication to making sure dignity, alternative and justice to the marginalised sections.

“Passage of the Structure (127th Modification) Invoice, 2021 in each Homes is a landmark second for our nation. This Invoice furthers social empowerment. It additionally displays our authorities’s dedication to making sure dignity, alternative and justice to the marginalised sections,” the prime minister mentioned in a tweet.

The ability of states and Union Territories to make their very own OBC lists for the aim of reservation in jobs and academic institutes has been restored. As soon as the Invoice turns into an Act, it’ll assist 671 communities that, in impact, tantamount to about one-fifth of the full OBCs within the nation, as per reviews. Mainly, the 127th Modification Invoice seeks to revive powers to states to inform backward courses, bypassing an earlier 5 Could 2021 verdict of the Supreme Court docket which allowed solely the Centre to inform socially and educationally backward courses (SEBCs).

What was the Supreme Court docket’s 5 Could 2021 verdict? In a categorical verdict whereas listening to the Maratha quota problem, the Supreme Court docket had on 5 Could 2021 upheld the 102nd Constitutional Modification, saying that the President, primarily based on the suggestions of the Nationwide Fee for Backward Courses (NCBC), would decide which communities could be included on the state OBC listing. The 102nd Modification Act raised the difficulty of the only Central listing of SEBCs taking away the powers of the states to organize their very own listing of OBCs. The Supreme Court docket, in its categorical ruling on 5 Could, additionally directed that following the modification, states didn’t have energy to determine SEBCs, individually from the Centre. The Central authorities filed a evaluation petition difficult the highest courtroom’s order, which was dismissed. Finally, the Centre got here up with the invoice to undo the Supreme Court docket ruling.

Supreme Court docket of India. Reuters

What’s the 102nd Constitutional Modification? The 102nd Structure Modification Act inserted three new articles, particularly, 342A, 366 (26C) and 338B, within the Structure. Of those, 338B offers with the construction, duties and powers of the Nationwide Fee for Backward Courses, and 342A that offers with the powers of the President of India to inform a selected caste as Socially and Educationally Backward Communities (SEBCs) and the ability of Parliament to vary the listing. Article 366 (26C) defines SEBCs. “Within the process of identification of SEBCs, the President shall be guided by the Fee arrange beneath Article 338B; its recommendation shall even be sought by the state in regard to insurance policies that may be framed by it. If the fee prepares a report regarding issues of identification, such a report must be shared with the state authorities, which is certain to take care of it, in accordance with provisions of Article 338B. Nonetheless, the ultimate dedication culminates within the train undertaken by the President (i.e. the Central Authorities, beneath Article 342A (1), by cause of Article 367 learn with Part 3 (8) (b) Normal Clauses Act),” the apex courtroom judgement of 5 Could 2021, upholding the 102nd Modification, mentioned.

“The states’ energy to make reservations in favour of specific communities or castes, the quantum of reservations, the character of advantages and the sort of reservations, and all different issues falling throughout the ambit of Articles 15 and 16 — besides with respect to identification of SEBCs, stays undisturbed,” the 5 Could 2021 judgement had additional mentioned.

What’s the 127th Modification Invoice? Nicely, following the modification in Articles 366 (26C) and 338B (9), states will now be capable to immediately notify OBC and SEBCs with out having to consult with the NCBC and the OBC lists ready by states might be taken out of the area of the President and could be notified by the Assemblies of involved States. Almost 671 OBC communities would have misplaced entry to reservation in instructional establishments and in appointments if the State lists had been abolished, as per 102nd Modification.

The 127th Modification, nevertheless, restores energy to the states, superseding the 102nd Modification, thereby displaying, amongst different issues, Prime Minister Modi’s dedication to cooperative federalism. “The legislative intent on the time of passing of the Structure (One Hundred and Second Modification) Act, 2018 was that it offers with the central listing of the socially and educationally backward courses (SEBCs). It recognises the truth that even previous to the declaration of the Central Listing of SEBCs in 1993, many States/Union territories are having their very own State Listing/Union territory Listing of OBCs,” the assertion within the 127th Modification Invoice notes.

The Congress, which was in authorities for the longest time on the Centre, by no means cared for the OBCs. The shoddy therapy meted out to the Kaka Kalelkar Fee by the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was repeated with the BP Mandal Fee by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Adhering to Article 340 of the Structure, the First Backward Courses Fee was arrange by a presidential order on 29 January 1953 beneath the chairmanship of Kaka Kalelkar. Nehru, nevertheless, unceremoniously threw the Kalelkar committee proposals within the bin. The BJP-supported VP Singh authorities on the Centre applied the Mandal Fee, which was opposed tooth and nail by Rajiv Gandhi, each inside and out of doors Parliament.

File picture of Congress flag. Reuters

It’s apparent and unlucky to notice that at any time when the Congress got here to energy, the occasion’s biased and anti-OBC psyche prevented it from strengthening the OBC neighborhood. From the political victimisation of BR Ambedkar, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Ram Manohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, BP Mandal, Karpoori Thakur, Okay Kamaraj, Devaraj Urs to VP Singh, Arjun Singh, Sitaram Kesri and Rajesh Pilot, the Congress has an unenviable monitor document. In truth, an anti-reservation Congress was at all times against the concept of giving reservation to both SC/STs or OBCs within the all-India quota (AIQ) for medical seats. AIQ in medical seats was launched in 1986 solely on the directions of the Supreme Court docket of India.

It’s the Narendra Modi led authorities that gave constitutional standing to the Nationwide Fee of Backward Courses (NCBC) in 2018, after nearly three many years of the Mandal Fee implementation. The inclusion of 12 SCs, 8 STs and 27 OBC ministers within the latest Cupboard reshuffle in July 2021 speaks volumes concerning the Modi authorities’s dedication to OBCs. At 35 p.c, OBC illustration within the Modi Cupboard at this time is the very best ever in unbiased India.

There have been calls for for creating classes inside OBCs to make sure equitable distribution of the quota profit to all. Some states corresponding to Bihar have experimented with the sub-categorisation and carved the reservation for terribly backward courses throughout the OBC reservation. In October 2017, the Centre constituted the Rohini fee to look at the sub-categorisation and submit a report inside 12 weeks. What has the Draft Rohini Fee really useful? It mentioned that round 2,633 castes are lined beneath the OBC reservation. The states have the flexibleness so as to add castes to the Central listing, relying on native deprivation ranges decided by native OBC commissions.

In February 2021, the Fee proposed to divide the 27 per cent reservation for the castes on the Central listing into 4 sub-categories. Whereas some have welcomed the sub-categorisation, consultants consider the concept of sub-categorisation could be a meaningless train and will probably polarise society alongside caste strains. Specialists consider that sharing the caste information might create extra divide within the society and result in renewed calls for for decreasing quota for sure castes and rising it for others. There may be additionally a concern {that a} repeat of the 1911 caste census might occur when the so-called higher castes had been declared a social minority.

The 1931 census, the final caste-based census, was carried out primarily to determine the methods by means of which a colonial energy might strengthen its stranglehold. The info was used to create a separate vote-bank within the Eighties, by leaders, who emerged from Jai Prakash Narayan’s anti-corruption motion and led to the creation of Janata Dal. Specialists consider that one thing related is being tried now by means of the sub-categorisation of the OBC quota.

Some opposition events know {that a} new caste census can assist them to create a brand new vote-bank of socially and economically disadvantaged sections among the many OBCs. At this stage, many consultants consider that the social prices of a caste census far outweigh the advantages and a caste census will not be an amazing concept. States have already got sufficient data at their disposal in any case, which they will use to present focused advantages of presidency schemes together with reservations to disadvantaged teams. The necessity for a caste census, subsequently, at this stage, stands mitigated to that extent.

The Modi authorities just lately introduced a 27 per cent reservation for OBCs and 10 per cent for economically weaker sections (EWS) in numerous medical programs together with MBBS, MD, MS, BDS, MDS and diplomas from the present educational 12 months. This showcases PM Modi’s dedication to “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwaas and Sabka Prayaas” in additional methods than one. Do be aware that there was no reservation within the AIQ scheme till the Supreme Court docket intervened and launched a reservation of 15 per cent for SCs and seven.5 per cent for STs in 2007.

“When the Central Instructional Establishments (Reservation in Admission) Act turned efficient in 2007, offering for uniform 27 p.c reservation to OBCs, the identical was applied in all of the Central instructional establishments viz. Safdarjung Hospital, Girl Harding Medical School, Aligarh Muslim College and Banaras Hindu College, and so forth. Nonetheless, this was not prolonged to the AIQ seats of state medical and dental faculties,” mentioned the Well being ministry. Now, that’s doable.

In response to the Well being ministry, almost 1,500 OBC college students in MBBS and a couple of,500 OBC college students in post-graduation and likewise round 550 EWS college students in MBBS and round 1000 EWS college students in post-graduation would profit from the Modi authorities’s historic resolution, yearly. The reservation was introduced beneath the all India quota (AIQ) scheme.

The AIQ scheme was launched in 1986 beneath the instructions of the Supreme Court docket to supply for domicile-free merit-based alternatives to college students from any state who aspire to check in a great medical faculty situated in one other state. “All India Quota consists of 15 per cent of whole out there UG seats and 50 per cent of whole out there PG seats in authorities medical faculties,” the well being ministry mentioned in a press release to this impact.

A moot level to be famous right here is that for many years political events just like the Samajwadi Occasion and Bahujan Samaj Occasion merely paid lip service to the reason for OBCs who type a dominant 43-45 per cent of the full inhabitants in Uttar Pradesh. OBC sub-groups, whether or not it’s non-Yadavs, Kurmis, Koeris or others, had been repeatedly let down by the likes of Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati. Nonetheless, the BJP’s acceptance amongst these “Different non-Yadav OBCs” rose three-and-a-half instances between 2012 and 2014 (from 17 per cent to 60 per cent). This quantity is essential as “Different non-Yadav OBCs” represent over 25 per cent of UP’s whole inhabitants.

File picture of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati. PTI

Within the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, one-fourth of BJP’s whole votes got here from this part alone. These numbers have solely improved in subsequent elections. Importantly, whereas the SP solely centered on the Yadavs, the BJP centered on each Yadav and non-Yadav OBCs with out discriminating between the 2 and it’s this politics of inclusivity that helped the occasion turn into the dominant political power in Uttar Pradesh, which until 2014had at all times been pushed by a Yadav-centric caste matrix.

Over the last seven years, due to Prime Minister Modi’s concentrate on science, training, medication and innovation, MBBS seats within the nation have elevated by 56 per cent from 54,348 seats in 2014 to 84,649 seats in 2020. The variety of PG seats have elevated by 80 per cent from 30,191 seats in 2014 to 54,275 seats in 2020. Throughout the identical interval, 179 new medical faculties have been established and now India boasts of 558 medical faculties, together with 289 authorities and 269 non-public faculties.

It might be apt to conclude by saying that whereas successive Congress regimes solely paid lip service to the reason for OBCs and the marginalised, it’s the Modi authorities that lastly delivered to fruition numerous reforms to make sure that the advantages of inclusivity and improvement are made accessible to every person, chopping by means of swathes of divisive rhetoric.

The creator is an economist, nationwide spokesperson of the BJP and the creator of ‘The Modi Gambit’. Views expressed are private.

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