The Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh has made new demands for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community in India. Key among these requests is the inclusion of a separate column for OBCs in the upcoming census. Additionally, the organization is advocating for the establishment of a dedicated central ministry to address the specific needs and concerns of the OBC community. These demands were discussed during a meeting held at the Mahasangh’s office in Nagpur on Tuesday.
On political representation, the meeting demanded amendments to Articles 243D and 243T of the Constitution to secure 27% OBC reservation in local bodies and called for OBC representation proportional to population in gram panchayats, panchayat samitis, zilla parishads, municipal councils and municipal corporations. The meeting was attended by National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) member Kiran Mahale, Mahasangh national president Dr Babanrao Taywade, Saoner MLA Dr Ashish Deshmukh and Mahasangh general secretary Sachin Rajurkar. Pending social, educational, economic and political demands of the community were discussed during the meeting. Office-bearers sought a separate census column for OBCs, saying accurate population and socio-economic data would help the govt design more effective welfare policies. It also demanded a dedicated central OBC ministry to run separate schemes for education, employment, skill development, economic empowerment and entrepreneurship for the community.