Centre confirms recommendation to drop 35 communities from WB OBC list

The Centre has informed the Lok Sabha that it has received the National Commission for Backward Classes’ (NCBC) recommendation to remove 35 communities from West Bengal’s Central OBC list. The advice came after the commission reviewed the communities added to the list in 2014.

According to the Social Justice Ministry, the NCBC sent its recommendation in January 2025. The commission had examined 37 communities included in the Central OBC list in 2014, most of which were Muslim communities, and recommended the exclusion of 35 communities.

West Bengal had originally proposed 46 communities for Central OBC status in 2011, and after the NCBC’s review, 37 were approved and notified in 2014. The commission began re-examining these entries in 2023.

The NCBC’s recommendation follows repeated non-appearances by West Bengal’s Chief Secretary at hearings on the inclusion of castes and communities in the Central OBC list. The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment noted that the Chief Secretary missed five scheduled hearings in 2024, reflecting procedural challenges and tensions between the State and the Commission.

The decision comes as the Supreme Court hears petitions on Muslim groups listed under West Bengal’s State OBC categories, adding political sensitivity ahead of the State Assembly elections early next year.

If implemented, the removal of these 35 communities would affect access to central government reservations in education, jobs, and other welfare schemes, with significant implications for social mobility and economic opportunities.

Under the 102nd Constitutional Amendment, any change to the Central OBC list requires Parliament’s approval and presidential notification, meaning the NCBC’s recommendation is only the first step.

BJP leader Amit Malviya reacted on Wednesday, saying all the communities recommended for exclusion were Muslim and criticised the West Bengal government’s classification decisions.

He said the Centre was “correcting decades of appeasement-driven distortions and ensuring true social justice based on backwardness, not vote-bank politics.”

The Social Justice Ministry has not yet indicated when the recommendation will be placed before Parliament for final approval.