LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government is mulling a separate reservation basket within the 27% OBC quota to accommodate 18 backward sub-castes whose proposed inclusion on the list was earlier struck down by the Allahabad HC on the grounds of being unconstitutional.
The proposed workaround would need to be taken up by the state cabinet and passed in both houses of the assembly before sending it to the Centre for approval, a minister in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet told TOI.
Between 2016 and 2019, the government had unsuccessfully made a series of proposals to grant SC status to these groups. The 18 sub-castes that stand to benefit in the event of the new move going through include the Majhwar, Kahar, Kashyap, Kevat, Mallah, Nishad, Kumhar, Prajapati, Dheevar, Bind, Bhar, Rajbhar, Dhiman, Batham, Turha, Godia, Manjhi and Machhua communities.
Sub-castes like Kevat, Mallah, Bind, Nishad and Manjhi are broadly considered part of the Nishad community, which has been demanding SC status. “The state government wishes to provide relief to these sub-castes,” the minister said. Sources said BJP didn’t want to disturb the SC list while provisioning statutory benefits for the 18 OBC sub-castes that are currently unable to get reservation despite their socio-economic condition.
