Bihar's Push for OBC Inclusion: NCBC Seeks Detailed Data

The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has intensified efforts to gather comprehensive socio-economic and educational data from Bihar regarding 18 castes that the state seeks to include in the central Other Backward Classes (OBC) list.

In response to a public hearing in Patna, NCBC chairperson Hansraj Ahir, along with Commission member Bhuwan Bhushan Kamal, engaged with senior officials and community representatives to assess the longstanding proposal. The commission is awaiting further data from Bihar, which has requested additional time to complete its survey.

Ahir revealed that similar inclusion requests from other states have been considered, noting a previous recommendation to add 15 castes from Maharashtra. Bihar's demand coincides with findings from its 2023 caste survey indicating that OBCs and Extremely Backward Classes constitute significant portions of the state's population.