Telangana plan for BC quota may reach up to national panel

Hyderabad: The Telangana state government’s efforts to increase reservations for Backward Classes is likely to hit a hurdle in the form of the Centre’s National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes. The Centre has recently accorded constitutional status to the NSEBC, mandating all states to seek its approval first to make any changes in the existing quotas.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao recently asked the State BC Commission to submit a report on increasing the quotas for BCs within six months. In the wake of the Centre’s diktat, uncertainty looms over quota hike in the state.

The Union Cabinet, on March 23, approved the setting up of the NCSEBC as a Constitutional body replacing the National Commi-ssion for Backward Classes that looked into the inclusion or exclusion of other backward castes for quotas, among other issues. The new commission will examine requests for inclusion of any class of citizens as a Backward Class in the lists and hear complaints of over-inclusion or under-inclusion of any Backward Class in such lists and tender such advice to the Central government as it deems appropriate.

The NCSEBC Bill was introduced in Parliament in the recently concluded Budget session. It was passed by Lok Sabha on April 10 and is awaiting Rajya Sabha approval, which is expected during the Monsoon Session in July.

After approval, the NCSEBC will come into existence as a Constitutional body. “All the states have to consult the NSEBC before inclusion or exclusion of any caste from the list of BCs. Any change to be made to the existing reservations for BCs will also be referred to the commission. This may create problems in case the commission rejects proposals sent by states. For this reason, the CM has been demanding that the Centre give power on implementing reservations to states. The CM took up this issue with the PM when he met him in April," said official sources.

At present, BCs are getting 25 per cent quota in Telangana in four groups A, B,C and D. The government wants to increase this quota and asked state BC Commission to take up a survey to assess the socio, economic and educational backwardness of BCs in the state and submit a report to the government within six months, recommending a hike in reservations.

The government also asked the commission to identify Most Backward Classes (MBCs) within the BCs for providing special reservations to these categories.