Haryana Adds New OBC Quota | 17 Jul 2024

Why in News?

Recently, the Haryana Government hiked the creamy layer ceiling for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from an annual income of ₹6 lakh to ₹8 lakh. Also introduced a 5% quota for the OBC-B category in Panchayati Raj Institutions and municipalities.

Key Points

  • OBCs in Haryana are estimated at around 40% of the State’s population and comprise 78 castes.
  • The 5% reservation for the OBC-B category would be in addition to the 8% quota for the OBC-A category already in force.

Other Backward Class (OBC)

  • The term OBC includes all classes of citizens who are socially and educationally backwards.
  • Supreme Court concluded that in order to identify OBC’s, the principle of exclusion of creamy layer should be applied.
    • A creamy layer can be defined as those classes of people within the OBC category who are no longer backward and are socially and economically at par with other forward classes of the country.

Constitutional Provisions

  • Under Article 15(4) of the Constitution, the State has the power to make special provisions for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward class i.e., the OBC.
    • The term “special provision for advancement” includes several aspects like reservation of seats in educational institutions, financial assistance, scholarships, free housing etc.
  • Under Article 16(4), the state is empowered to enact laws for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of OBCs.