I've often seen recurring confusion on different platforms about how certain communities claiming Kshatriya status are included in the OBC category.

This post aims to examine that question through briefly introducing Mandal Commission and the criteria it used to define backwardness in India.

The 2nd backward class commission set up in 1979 by then PM Morarji Desai ji and headed by BP Mandal, was tasked to identify backwardness in the society and recommend measures. Now BP Mandal himself was from a **wealthy yadav zamindar family**.

**11 Indicators of Mandal Commission:**

The Commission evolved 11 criteria, grouped under 3 heads.

**A) Social Indicators: 3 points each**

*1) *Castes considered socially backward.*

*2) *Mainly dependent on manual labour for livelihood.*

*3) Early marriage rate in compared above state average.*

*4) Female work participation 25% above state average.*

**B) Education Indicators: 2 points each**

*5) Child(5-15 years) never attended school*

*6) Dropout rates 25% above average*

*7) Matriculation rate 25% below state average.*

**C) Economic indicators: 1 points each**

*8) Average family assets 25% below state average*

*9) Families living in in kucha houses- 25% above state average.*

*10) Drinking water source 0.5 km for 50% household.*

*11) Consumption loans- 25% above state average.*

**Total Score=22**  
**Any caste scoring 11 out of 22 was termed Backward.**

**So any caste claiming kshatriya status would need to score 11 out of remain 19 points to be termed backwards(many of these claim bahujan status officially but Kshatriya status on ground to leech off the state).**

The sources used by this committee was 1931 caste census(outdated), adjusted to growth rate to demand 50-52% reservation for the OBCs. They also miraculously travelled about 400 odd distrcits and collected data from 2-3 villages per district on average, made the report and submitted it all within a year(truly a miracle).

There were ofc other issues here.

1. Pointers like Female workforce participation may have been a sign of backwardness in 1980s but today its highly regarded a sign of progress. Nearly half of women from general castes(like brahmin, kayasthas) are employed, would they be considered backward by this marker?

2. Features like houses, drinking water and consumption loans are already targeted by government policies. Either the policies are being ditched up by the middle men(again dominated by the OBCs) or the list needs to be updated.

3. Issues like early marriages and school dropouts are subject to government policy implementation. How does it affects OBCs living in urban setup? and How giving them 50% reservation in jobs and higher education solves this issue?

**Conclusion** : The entire OBC categorization is based on outdated data and it's entire purpose revolves around vote bank politics. There are data which exposes how some half dozen castes out of 1000s occupy most seats in this category. But the hunger for power and to secure votes, gov. goes about any extent to justify this catogery. Recently in MP, Gov. justified 75% reservation citing a survey which claimed 600 out of 1000 OBC stands up n salutes if an UC passes by. So yeah, this gets as ridiculous as it sounds. 

Pic: Mandal ji.

Criteria For Caste Backwardness in India and Why Claims of Being Kshatriya doesn't deny OBC Status