TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
NEW DELHI: With an apparent eye on votes of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Union Cabinet on Thursday expanded the Central list of OBCs with induction of 115 new castes from 13 States, including Goa, Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The central list was amended on the recommendation of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) whose advice is binding on the government as per the NCBC Act enacted in 1993 in pursuance to a Supreme Court judgment in the famous Indira Sawhney case.
The new castes and communities so included in the list will be able to avail benefits of reservation in government services and posts as well as in central educational institutions, besides the benefits of various welfare schemes, scholarships, etc. of the Centre.
All those included in the central list already have the OBC status in their respective States, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.
Altogether 2343 communities, including the sub-castes, are notified in the Central list of the OBCs.
