Gujjars entitled to 21 pc quota under OBC too: Raj govt

The Rajasthan government today clarified that five castes, including Gujjars, under the most backward classes (MBC), are also entitled to the 21 per cent quota under the OBC category for admission to educational institutions and recruitment in government jobs in the state.

The orders, dated July 1 issued by the Department of Personnel (DoP) today, clarified that the most backward classes are entitled for the 21 per cent reservation under Other Backward Class (OBC) also.

The five castes under the most backward class (MBC) are (1)Banjara/Baldia/Labana, (2) Gadia-Lohar/Gadalia, (3) Gujjar/Gurjar, (4) Raika/Rebari and (5) Gadaria (Gaadri), who were initially enlisted in the OBC since 1994.

The candidates (of these five castes of MBC) if not selected on the basis of merit in the general category will be considered first under the OBC (21 per cent) and then under the MBC (1 per cent) in admissions and recruitments, according to the two orders which are separate for admissions and recruitments.

It was brought to the notice of the government that the most backward classes are being considered only for the MBC reservation and the guidelines for the reservation were not being followed properly, the orders stated.

The state government had issued the notification for giving one per cent reservation under the MBC on December 21, 2017, but the communities were not getting proper advantages.

Yesterday, Parliamentary affairs minister Rajendra Rathore had assured the Gurjar leaders in a meeting that the orders will be issued at the earliest after the community leaders threatened to stage a protest during prime minister Narendra Modi's Jaipur visit on July 7.

Two orders have been issued and we are satisfied over this. We will now withdraw the call to protest during the prime minister's visit, Himmat Singh, spokesperson of the Gurjar Aaraksan Sangharsh Samiti said.