While Uttar Pradesh is known to make headlines for divide between Hindus and Muslims, as far as their political alignment is concerned, what most do not know is that it is the OBCs who may call the shots in future elections.
And thus, INDIA, the grand alliance of parties opposed to NDA, has supported the demand for a caste census in the state. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, in a post on X (formerly twitter) on Monday, said the BJP should conduct a nationwide caste census. After all, they are thinking that the caste census might benefit them. And they may be able to challenge the saffron party.
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According to figures from the Hukum Singh committee, which was established in 2001, OBCs make up more than 50% of the state’s population in Uttar Pradesh. With a 19.40% representation, Yadavs are the largest OBC caste. There is a need for a census of castes.
The Yadavs account for 19.40% of the total OBC castes and the Kurmis and the Patels account for 7.4%, as per the same data.
Nishads, Mallahs, and Kevats account for 4.3%; Bhar and Rajbhars account for 2.4%; Lodhs account for 4.8%; and Jats account for 3.6%.
Although there is no actual evidence of caste wise break-up of OBC population after the Census of 1931, the Hukum Singh led committee in Uttar Pradesh in 2001 counted 7.56 crore OBC population of 79 OBC castes in the state on the basis of family registers maintained in rural areas.
Taking into account the average population size of 20.78 % living in urban areas, the total OBC population at that time may have been more than 50% of the total population of Uttar Pradesh at 16.61 crore in the 2001 census.
The Hukum Singh committee had brought into center the issues of reservation for the most in backward classes (MBCs) inside the 27% reservation given to the OBCs following execution of the Mandal Commission report.
The Yogi Adityanath administration decided to create another social justice committee in 2018 as the politics around the MBCs gathered steam. This decision was made in response to the demand for an MBC (most backward castes) quota inside the OBC quota.
In October 2018, the Justice Raghvendra Kumar Committee delivered its approximately 400-page report. classifying the OBCs into three categories.
