[VOLUME 5 I ISSUE 3 I JULY – SEPT 2018] e ISSN 2348 –1269, Print ISSN 2349-5138 http://ijrar.com/ Cosmos Impact Factor 4.236 Geographical Analysis of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) Population in Haryana Amit Kumar Ph.D. Research Scholar, Centre of Advanced Study (UGC), Department of Geography, Panjab University, Chandigarh. Received: July 01, 2018 Accepted: August 13, 2018 ABSTRACT Haryana, an Indian state has been on the boil because of caste-based agitations for the inclusion in OBCs during February, 2016. The state went through a horrific phase of violence for the matter of OBCs. Haryana was carved out of Punjab as a new entity of federal India on 1 November, 1966. Forty-seven years may be too small a period in the annals of any state but the tiny state of Haryana makes an absorbing tale of big transformation. Concerned about the welfare of its people, Haryana government also launched a slew of welfare programmes spanning all segments of the society such as Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes. In case of OBCs, the government of Haryana extended welfare programmes from 1969 (Mathur, 2004). But OBCs as targeted beneficiaries of state programmes are not counted as separate category till date. The district wise OBCs population as well as their demographic variables is not available. It is very well known that every policy has its spatial expression and non availability of data is the main hurdle in the formulation of policies and programmes for the development of OBCs in the state. It is also meaningless to enlarge the list of OBCs without having the population data of already listed OBCs. The absence of population figures for OBCs renders difficult the task of assessing their conditions. However, there are some other data sources such as NSSO, NFHS, BPL survey 2007 and various backward classes commissions/committees that give a fairly distinct estimates on the size of OBCs over space and time. NFHS survey (1998-99) estimated twenty one per cent households belonged to OBCs in Haryana and whereas the NFHS (2005-2006) estimated twenty three percent households belonged to OBCs. The present research paper is a humble initiative to analyse available data sources in context of Haryana state. Introduction The reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) was announced by Indian Government on August 7, 1990. This was done in accordance with implementing the Mandal Commission Report. Recently, the position concerning other backward classes also varies from State to State. The central List of OBCs is issued in respect of 25 states and 6 union Territories so for. Four states- Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram- are not identified OBCs till now. Similarly, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is also not covered OBC quota. On the other hand, all the other states (except above mentioned) have officially identified OBCs. A substantial percentage of vacancies in all state services are also reserved for them to the extent of 50 percent in Tamil Nadu, 40 percent in Kerala, 38 per cent in A&N, 34 per cent in Puducherry, 33 percent in Bihar, 32 percent in Karnataka, 29 percent in Andhra Pradesh, 27 per cent in Assam, NCT Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh and Daman & Diu Islands, 27 percent in class III and IV jobs and services and 10 per cent in Class I and Class II jobs in Haryana, 25 per cent in Jammu & Kashmir, 21 per cent in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Sikkim,, 18 percent (in class III and IV jobs and services) and 12 percent in Class I and Class II jobs in Himachal Pradesh, 17 per cent in Manipur and West Bengal, 14 per cent in Chhatisgarh, 14 per cent in Jharkhand and Uttarakhand, 12 percent in Punjab, 5 per cent in Dadra & Nagar Haveli (Parliament of India, 2014). The states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Research Paper IJRAR- International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews 153 [ VOLUME 5 I ISSUE 3 I JULY– SEPT 2018] E ISSN 2348 –1269, PRINT ISSN 2349-5138 Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar. Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Haryana have sub- divisions of the OBCs. In the remaining States, the entire OBC list is one and, therefore, all of them are treated at par officially. But the concept of identification of OBCs varies region to region. There were three contiguous groupings of regional pattern for the identification of OBCs. First, there was peninsular bloc comprising the four Dravidian states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerla and Tamil Nadu) and Maharashtra. In these states, the OBCs have a long history descending from pre independence and a major section of population (38 per cent to 55 per cent) was considered as OBCs (Galanter 1984). A major segment of scarce opportunities were reserved for them. The second was eastern middle band stretching across India from Assam in the northeast through West Bengal and Orrissa, across Madhya Pradesh to Rajasthan (except Gujarat). In these states, there was no significant use of the OBCs category. Third was the northern tier of states who displays an intermediate pattern. It comprises of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where the listing had a communal base initially and make up a sizeable portion of the population, but the benefits were not as extensive as in the south (Galanter 1984). Objective of the Study 1. To understand the changes in the list of OBCs (including composite Punjab as well as Haryana) from 1951 to 2018. 2. To understand the spatial patterns of OBCs population with the objective of identifying areas recorded high and low concentration of OBCs population during 1993-94. Database and Methodology The study is based on district level estimated data of OBCs population collected by Haryana Second backward Classes Commission during 1993-94. The percentage rate constitutes the measure used to describe the spatial variation in the distribution as well as concentration of OBCs population. The percentage of OBCs population to total population and concentration of OBCs has been calculated by using the following formula: OBCs in Composite Punjab, 1951-1966 As a part of northern tier of states, the history of identification of OBCs in Haryana could be traced back to the early 1950s when Haryana was part of Punjab (virtually east Punjab). The process of identification of OBCs in this part of the country was belated event and it could never become very strong and effective due to various causes (Government of Haryana, 1995). In 1948, central Government added OBCs to the list for award of post matriculation scholarship (1948-1949) for the first time (Galanter, 1984). To that extent, the state governments were required to draw up list of the castes that fell under OBCs. In August, 1951, Punjab Government appointed a 154 IJRAR- International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews Research Paper [VOLUME 5 I ISSUE 3 I JULY – SEPT 2018] e ISSN 2348 –1269, Print ISSN 2349-5138 http://ijrar.com/ Cosmos Impact Factor 4.236 committee consisting of election commissioner, deputy commissioner, criminal tribes and census superintendent to go into the whole question (Government of Punjab, 1965). On the basis of their recommendations and after Table 1 Composite Punjab: List of OBCs, 1951 OBCs list identified by the Committee OBCs list recognized for Government of India consituted by Punjab Government Scholarship, 1951-1952 SR. No Name of Caste Sr. No Name of Caste 1 Aheria, Aheri, Heri, Naik, Thori or Thri 1 Bagria 2 Barra 2 Bagi 3 Beta, Hensi or Hesi 3 Chamak Dhamak 4 Changar 4 Dhobi 5 Chirimar 5 Ghosi 6 Daiya 6 Khohli 7 Gawaria, Gauria or Gwar 7 Kahar 8 Kanjar or Kanchan 8 Mahtam 9 Kurmi 9 Sweeper 10 Nai 10 Weaver 11 Rehar, Rehara or Rer 12 Ghirath 13 Darain 14 Ghai Source: Government of Punjab. (1966). Report of the Evaluation Committee on Welfare. Chandigarh: Controller of Printing and Stationery, Punjab. p 138. Commissioner for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. (1951). Report. New Delhi: Manger of Publications. p 168. consultation with deputy commissioners in the state the Punjab government identified 14 castes (Table 1) as OBCs constituting 2 per cent of the state population (Government of India, 1980). The criterion for the identification of castes as OBCs was economic and educational backwardness coupled with some inherent factor that the community concerned was looked down which was an act almost akin to untouchability. However, as per the List of backward classes in India recognised for scholarships (1951-1952), only 10 caste of Punjab were considered as OBCs (Table 1). The census 1951 estimation, based on the existing state lists (i.e., 14 castes), counted 7.88 lakhs persons as OBCs in composite Punjab which constituted 6.2 per cent of state population and 1.1 per cent of OBCs population of India. While the backward classes commission (1953-1955) identified 88 castes/communities as OBCs in composite Punjab. The commission also estimated 25.56 lakhs persons as OBCs in the state which constituted 20.2 per cent of the state population and 2.25 per cent of OBCs population of India. Out of 88 castes/communities, this population figure was only for 59 OBCs castes/communities of the state. The commission had no population figures for the others. Of the 59 castes/communities, Kumhar Teli, Tarkhan, Faqir, Mewati, Nai,Ahir, and Ghirath together constituted 54.7 per cent of the state OBCs population (Table 2). The table 3 reveals that the lists of OBCs Research Paper IJRAR- International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews 155 [ VOLUME 5 I ISSUE 3 I JULY– SEPT 2018] E ISSN 2348 –1269, PRINT ISSN 2349-5138 from 1951 right up to 1966, collated fully capture the lengthening of the OBCs list from just 14 in 1951 to 63 in 1966.