09-14-2006, 12:07 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>OBC numbers reach 40%, says survey </b>
Rajeev Ranjan Roy | New Delhi
A punch in the face for quota votaries?
There is a marked increase in the population of other backward classes (OBCs) and scheduled castes (SCs) in the country.
As per the latest reports compiled by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, OBCs account for over 40 per cent of the country's population, up 6.5 per cent from the last report of 1999-2000.
<b>The NSSO report for 2004-5 further dents the claim of the Mandal Commission that had pegged OBC population at 52 per cent and had formed the basis of the Centre's quota policy</b>.
As there is no caste based census report in the country, the NSSO figure puts various question marks on the prevalent quantum of 27 per cent quota for OBCs in Government jobs and academic institutions.
The NSSO report, that is scheduled to be released next week, puts the population of scheduled castes at around 19 per cent, while that of scheduled tribes at 8.6 per cent.
As SCs have been given reservation in proportion to their population, the NSSO figures may come in handy for the Union Social Justice and Empowered Ministry, which is pressing for an increase in SC quota.
"There is a growth of over six per cent in the population of other backward classes as per the 61st round survey for the year 2004-5. There is an increase of over 2 per cent in the SCs population. There is an increase of 1.6 per cent in the ST population," sources in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said.
Though exact details of the factors leading to the increase would only be known after the final report comes out next week, sources claimed that the figure was close to the ground realities.
"A growth of 6 to 7 per cent in OBC population is not an unusual phenomenon. As per indications based on reports from different parts being clubbed together, there seems to be a substantial increase in the OBC population in rural areas," sources said.
In Report No. 472 under the statement titled, "Percentage distribution of persons by social groups in rural and urban areas of major States," for 1999-2000, the NSSO pegged OBC population at 33.5 per cent.
The figure was based on the survey of as many as 6,046 villages covering 4,116 blocks across the country. In all, 71,385 rural and 48,924 urban households were surveyed to ascertain the Indian's socio-economic status.
In rural areas, 3,74,856 people were surveyed to know their social and economic status, while in the urban areas, 2,25,160 people were surveyed in 15 States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
"The latest report is based on the survey conducted in around 9,000 villages in almost all 600 districts except Leh and Kargil districts. The survey was conducted at a much larger scale. As a result, the findings have to be almost close to the actual," official sources said.
The percentage of SC/ST/OBC population in NSSO report is based on the survey of the castes as identified by the Government of India.
Sources said that among all States covered by the Ministry for survey, Tamil Nadu has the largest OBC population, accounting for over 64 per cent of rural population and 70 per cent of the urban population.
In the September 2001 survey report, the NSSO put SC population at 17.38 per cent, a little higher than 16.23 per cent of the Census 2001 and ST populace at around 7 per cent against 8 per cent plus as per the Census 2001.
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Rajeev Ranjan Roy | New Delhi
A punch in the face for quota votaries?
There is a marked increase in the population of other backward classes (OBCs) and scheduled castes (SCs) in the country.
As per the latest reports compiled by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, OBCs account for over 40 per cent of the country's population, up 6.5 per cent from the last report of 1999-2000.
<b>The NSSO report for 2004-5 further dents the claim of the Mandal Commission that had pegged OBC population at 52 per cent and had formed the basis of the Centre's quota policy</b>.
As there is no caste based census report in the country, the NSSO figure puts various question marks on the prevalent quantum of 27 per cent quota for OBCs in Government jobs and academic institutions.
The NSSO report, that is scheduled to be released next week, puts the population of scheduled castes at around 19 per cent, while that of scheduled tribes at 8.6 per cent.
As SCs have been given reservation in proportion to their population, the NSSO figures may come in handy for the Union Social Justice and Empowered Ministry, which is pressing for an increase in SC quota.
"There is a growth of over six per cent in the population of other backward classes as per the 61st round survey for the year 2004-5. There is an increase of over 2 per cent in the SCs population. There is an increase of 1.6 per cent in the ST population," sources in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said.
Though exact details of the factors leading to the increase would only be known after the final report comes out next week, sources claimed that the figure was close to the ground realities.
"A growth of 6 to 7 per cent in OBC population is not an unusual phenomenon. As per indications based on reports from different parts being clubbed together, there seems to be a substantial increase in the OBC population in rural areas," sources said.
In Report No. 472 under the statement titled, "Percentage distribution of persons by social groups in rural and urban areas of major States," for 1999-2000, the NSSO pegged OBC population at 33.5 per cent.
The figure was based on the survey of as many as 6,046 villages covering 4,116 blocks across the country. In all, 71,385 rural and 48,924 urban households were surveyed to ascertain the Indian's socio-economic status.
In rural areas, 3,74,856 people were surveyed to know their social and economic status, while in the urban areas, 2,25,160 people were surveyed in 15 States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
"The latest report is based on the survey conducted in around 9,000 villages in almost all 600 districts except Leh and Kargil districts. The survey was conducted at a much larger scale. As a result, the findings have to be almost close to the actual," official sources said.
The percentage of SC/ST/OBC population in NSSO report is based on the survey of the castes as identified by the Government of India.
Sources said that among all States covered by the Ministry for survey, Tamil Nadu has the largest OBC population, accounting for over 64 per cent of rural population and 70 per cent of the urban population.
In the September 2001 survey report, the NSSO put SC population at 17.38 per cent, a little higher than 16.23 per cent of the Census 2001 and ST populace at around 7 per cent against 8 per cent plus as per the Census 2001.
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