Justice Rohini Commission

About Rohini Commission:

• The commission was set up by the President under Article 340 of the Indian Constitution on  October 2, 2017. 
• It is headed by former Delhi High Court judge, Justice G. Rohini (retd).
• Mandate: To examine the issues related to the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes.
• Terms of References:
  • to examine the extent of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the castes or communities included in the broad category of Other Backward Classes, with reference to such classes included in the Central List;
  • to work out the mechanism, criteria, norms and parameters in a scientific approach for sub-categorisation within such Other Backward Classes;
  • to take up the exercise of identifying the respective castes or communities or sub-castes or synonyms in the Central List of Other Backward Classes and classifying them into their respective sub-categories;

What does Article 340 say?

• The Article reads, “The President may, by order, appoint a Commission consisting of such persons as he thinks fit to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes within the territory of India and the difficulties under which they labour and to make recommendations as to the steps that should be taken by the Union or any State to remove such difficulties and to improve their condition…”

Q1) What was Mandal commission report?

It was a report that arguably paved the way for caste to become a criterion for reservation in India. It recommended that members of OBCs be given 27 per cent reservations for jobs under the Central government and public sector undertakings.

Source: OBC sub-categorisation panel gets 14th extension