Odisha government nod to survey of backward classes

BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Friday approved the proposal of Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (OSCBC) to conduct a survey of social and educational conditions of backward classes, paving the way for more focused attention to welfare of the community.

In a notification, the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Class Welfare department has requested Chairperson of OSCBC Raghunath Biswal to take appropriate steps for conducting the survey on social and educational conditions of the people belonging to backward classes in the State. 

The government had constituted the OSCBC in February last year after the National Commission for Backward Classes had expressed its unhappiness over the delay. The Odisha Cabinet on January 12 last year had unanimously decided to move the Centre to conduct a socio-economic caste enumeration simultaneously along with the General Census in 2021. 

Official sources maintained that after completion of the survey, the government can make provision for reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented in the services as per Article 16(4) of the Indian Constitution.

The government was of the opinion that unavailability of reliable and authentic data about the exact numbers of the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) and OBCs, geographical areas of their spread and density has been a huge challenge in ensuring focused and outcome-specific planning. 

The necessity of having such data was well appreciated by the Central Government as evident from the Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011 which has, however, been not made public, the Cabinet resolution maintained. The Cabinet had also maintained that no formal Census including the caste details of the population has been done since 1931.