At the concluding session of its first meeting on Wednesday, the Congress’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) advisory council urged the Centre to enumerate various socio-economic factors of an individual alongside caste in the next Census.
The demand, Congress OBC cell president Dr Anil Jaihind said, was necessary to shed light on various aspects of an individual’s life. The Congress added that the Telangana Socio Economic, Educational, Employment, Political, and Caste survey could be a template for the next Census in the country. At present, a three-member expert committee constituted by the A Revanth Reddy-led Congress government is studying the relative backwardness of different communities. This, the party believes, could help in tailoring policies and schemes for communities based on their specific needs.
The OBC Advisory Council made this demand alongside two other resolutions and said the set of demands constituted the “Bengaluru declaration”.
The second resolution pitched for removing the 50% ceiling on reservations “to ensure suitable reservation for the OBCs in education, service, political and other areas”.
Its third resolution called for reservations in private educational institutions as per the Constitution’s Article 15 (5), which allows for special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes in educational institutions.
The party also underlined a “Future Action Plan” to take OBC issues forward. The Council has decided to organise mega public rallies across all state capitals to raise its pitch for the backward classes. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to participate in these rallies.
The declaration thanked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for presiding over the first meeting of the Council and “for his commitment to the upliftment of the oppressed classes.”
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Siddaramaiah said India was destined to “realise and achieve the ultimate constitutional objective of social transformation” under Congress leader Gandhi’s leadership.
The CM said Karnataka was the first state to conduct a Caste Census after 1931 — the last time caste was counted in the country.
The council is set to meet again on July 25.