SEBC Full Form

The Government of India uses the term “Other Backward Class” to describe academically or socially deprived castes. It is one of the official population classifications in India, along with the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and General Class. The Mandal Commission study of 1980 stated that the OBCs made up 55 percent of the country’s population, and the National Sample Survey Organization determined that they made up 41 percent in 2006. 

What are the socially and educationally backward classes?

SEBC is an adjective that represents the socially and educationally backward classes. It is another term for all who belong to castes that the government considers backward.

As per the Central Government of India, some people of our country are classified based on financial situation and style of life, and these citizens are referred to as persons living below the poverty line. The Indian government ensures social and educational development, hence other backward services are given 27% reservations in state, central jobs, education and other factors.  They are also SEBC citizens, which stands for socially and Educationally Backward Classes. 

When the SEBC was constituted in 1979, it led to significant changes. The “Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission”  was established to assist India’s educational, social, and financially backward classes. There are different percentages for the SEBC in other states, such as Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. For example, in Tamil Nadu, the SEBC population expanded to 20%; however, it is 20% in Maharashtra. As per the government documents, it was defined in 2019 that all people whose income or the total family income is less than 8 lakh per annum are supposed to be in the OBC and SEBC sections of the nation’s financially weaker categories.

Who are the socially and educationally Backward Classes?

Criteria according to social status

• Castes and groups rely primarily on agriculture and other physical work for a living.

• From traditionally mindsets and social factors, Castes and communities are identified with conventional crafts or occupations considered lowly impure, stigmatized, unclean, or undignified, such as pottery, haircutting, lime burning, fishing, animal rearing, toddy tapping, leatherworking, grain roasting, juggling, entertaining through dance and music, washing clothes, traditional mendicancy and begging.

• Castes and communities whose women and children participate in manual labor at a rate at least 25% higher than the state average.

• Backward castes and communities usually lack a conducive culture and social context for overall growth of such communities.

• Such backward castes and communities reside in rural, segregated, secluded, or slum environments.

Criteria according to the educational status

• Classes of society and communities where the proportion of people who have completed the 10th grade or equivalent is at least 20% lower than the state and district average.

• Castes and groups with a graduation rate at least 10% lower than the state and district level.

• Strata of society and communities in which the proportion of highly qualified people, such as doctors, engineers, chartered accountants, and those holding prominent positions in the judiciary and the executive, is at least 25% lower than the average state level.

• Castes and communities where the rate of student dropout in the 7-15 year age group is at least 15% higher than the state average.

Criteria according to economic status

• Communities and Castes where members do not own no industrial establishments, educational institutions, or other employment sources or strong income sources.

• Average family incomes of the communities with at least 20% lower income as defined by state and economic level.

History of socially and educationally Backward Classes

The Mandal Commission, officially known as the “Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission” or SEBC, was established in India in 1979 under Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s Janata Party government, with the responsibility to “identify India’s socially or educationally backward classes.” It was led by B.P. Mandal, an Indian lawmaker, who employed eleven social, economic, and educational factors to assess backwardness. In 1980, the Commission’s report suggested that members of Other Backward Classes known as OBC be granted reservations to 27 percent of jobs under the Central government and the public sector. In addition, OBCs identified according to the caste socioeconomic indicators and suggested 52 percent of India’s population under the backward section.

The main goal of the Mandal Commission in India was to determine the situations relevant to social and academic backward groups to evaluate the issue of seat reservations and quotas.

Present observation 

The committee concluded that 52 percent of India’s overall population, except S.C.s and S.T.s, were ‘backward,’ belonging to 3,743 different castes and groups. According to the National Commission for Backward Classes, the number of backward castes on the Central List of OBCs now expanded to meet needs of approximately 17.24 rural households in which 44% are OBC, 21.6% are Scheduled Castes and 12.3% Scheduled Tribes.

Conclusion 

OBCs have been characterized as socially and educationally backward classes or SEBC in the Indian Constitution, and the Government of India is obligated to confirm their social and educational development. 

“The National Commission for Backward Classes” and other states keep track of OBC’s counting. The central list does not necessarily correlate to the state lists, which vary widely. A community classified as a nationally recognized OBC on the NCBC preliminary list could be recognized exclusively in certain states or specific areas inside those states.