Notice to Bengal for adding 87 castes in central OBC list

Responding to the recommendation of West Bengal for inclusion of 87 castes in the central OBC list, the National Commission for Backward Classes has asked the state to produce the status of these communities going back to the Imperial Gazetteer, as also their ethnographic details. Noting that the state has not hiked the OBC quota from 17% to 22% as was suggested by it, the NCBC has asked Bengal to give the reason for inaction and produce the basic file on the subject. The NCBC has said since the state OBC Commission has mentioned in its advisories that many of these backward castes in Bengal were converts from Hindu to Muslim religion, the state should produce Gazetteer and ethnographic details of such castes to back its claim.