Those castes in Uttarakhand, who are waiting to get the benefits of reservation under the OBC category, have a news to rejoice. The Union Government today gave its approval to a national panel's recommendation for amending central list of OBCs.

The notification in this regard by the Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment is likely shortly; making way for these newly included castes to avail the benefits of reservation in central government services and posts. It will be the ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment which would make amendments in the central list of OBCs in respect to these states and UTs.

The move will bring reservation benefits in jobs and education to more than four dozen castes in around 20 states in India.

Notably, in the report the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) had sent recommendations for inclusion of more than 70 castes in around 20 states and UTs in India. Under the current reservation policy, the government has earmarked 27 percent reservation for OBCs in jobs and education.

The states and UTs whose castes and cimmunities are included in the Central List of OBCs are:

Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar, Chandigarh, Delhi and Puducherry.
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