Inclusion of Jat community in the Central List of OBCs for the States of Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Bihar

The Union Cabinet today approved the following as suggested by the Group of Ministers. 

Jats are already included in the State List of OBCs in nine States. Formal reports of the State Backward Class Commissions on the subject for the States of Haryana (2012) and Himachal Pradesh (2002) and books relating to socio economic status of farming communities in northern India and caste, land and political power in Uttar Pradesh are available. These may contain valuable and relevant material which can be utilized by the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) to give its advice on the demand for inclusion of Jats in the Central List of OBCs in the States of Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan (two districts), Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Bihar. 

This decision would enable the Jat Community to avail the benefits of reservation available to the Other Backward Classes for employment/ admission in /to Central Government services and posts/ educational Institutions. 

Background: 

Jat Community has been demanding inclusion in the Central List of Other Backward Classes for various states. The NCBC which was set up under the NCBC Act 1993, has been entrusted with the function of examining requests for inclusion of any Class of citizens as a backward class in the lists (Central List of Other Backward Classes) and hear complaints of over inclusion or under inclusion of any backward class in such lists, and tender advice to the Central Government as desired appropriate. At present, the Jat Community is included, in the Central List of OBCs for the States of Gujarat - Jat (Muslim) and Rajasthan (except in Bharatpur and Dhaulpur districts). They are, at present, included in the State Lists of nine States. The requests of Jats for inclusion in the Central List of OBCs for the States of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur and Dhaulpur districts of Rajasthan was earlier rejected by NCBC in 1997. The NCBC under the NCBC (Power to Review Advice) Rules 2011, decided to consider requests for inclusion of the Jat community after collecting additional socio-economic data through the ICSSR, in addition to data from the SECC. A GoM was constituted on 20.8.2013 to (i) engage with the representatives of the Jat community periodically; and (ii) apprise itself of the progress of the survey being conducted by NCBC through ICSSR in six states. 

Source : PIB Release, 19 Dec, 2013