The report, prepared by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University of Social Sciences, Mhow, was submitted to the State Backward Classes Welfare Commission on July 28, 2023.
It is based on a comprehensive survey of approximately 10,000 OBC families across the state, designed to evaluate their social, economic, and educational status.
The survey findings reveal deep-seated social and economic challenges. Caste was identified as the primary cause of backwardness, with 56% of families reporting they must stand to show respect when an upper-caste person passes by.
Economically, the OBC community faces high unemployment, with a rate of 14.9%, rising to 21.3% among women. The report notes that over half of the OBC women surveyed work as labourers to support their households.
The proposal for a 36% job reservation and the 50% quota in women-centric schemes are direct recommendations from this report, which argues these measures are essential to bring the OBC community into the social and economic mainstream.
This report has gained significance as the matter of the existing 27% OBC reservation in the state is currently under observation by the Supreme Court.
The court has postponed the hearing twice, with the next date scheduled for November, ensuring the issue remains at the forefront of political and legal attention.
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