In the Rajya Sabha, BJP MP calls for implementing OBC sub-quota for Central schemes

During Special Mentions at the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday (March 18, 2026), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bihar Bhim Singh called for the sub-categorisation of the 27% Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota for Central schemes, a subject mooted by the Union government when it commissioned a report on it in 2017, but has put it on hold since the report’s submission in 2023.

Sub-categorisation of the OBC socio-economic category has been done by various State governments for a while now, and recognises the graded backwardness of communities within a given categorisation. In 2015, the erstwhile National Commission for Backward Classes had recommended sub-categorisation of the Central list of OBCs, and the government constituted the Justice G. Rohini Commission in 2017.

“Unless this is done, the extremely backward castes will not be able to receive their proper benefits”, calling for the division of the 27% OBC quota as per the “Karpoori formula”, named after former Bihar Chief Minister and a champion of social justice politics, Karpoori Thakur. According to this, Mr. Singh called for reserving 9% for Other Backward Castes, 6% for Intermediate Backward Castes, and 12% for Extremely Backward Castes, within the 27% quota for OBCs.

“There is inequality even among the various castes included in the OBC category. Some castes are relatively ‘advanced’, while the majority are ‘poor and extremely backward’. Experience shows, and numerous studies have verified, that providing reservation as a single block is preventing the proper benefits of the 27% reservation from reaching all castes,” Mr. Singh said, arguing for the sub-categorisation.

While the Justice G. Rohini Commission submitted its report to the President in 2023, the Union Social Justice Ministry has not said anything about what is contained in it. Meanwhile, in 2024, the Supreme Court of India, in a landmark judgment, recognised graded backwardness in the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categorisations as well, permitting State governments to proceed with sub-categorisation of these categories also.