One-fourth of castes enjoying 97% of reservation – What is the Rohini Commission report that is in the news again after caste census announcement
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government has announced a caste-based census. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs approved it on 30th April 2025. Since then, speculations regarding the census have intensified. On the sidelines of the discussion about the upcoming census, the Rohini Commission is again making headlines. There is an ongoing discussion about the suggestions and recommendations made by the Rohini Commission that could be implemented after the census.
Before discussing the Rohini Commission in detail, it is essential to understand how often, and when, caste-based censuses have taken place in India. Interestingly, the first-ever caste census was conducted during British rule, and the last caste-based census was also conducted during British rule. For the first time since independence, a caste-based census will be conducted at the national level.
When was the first caste census conducted
The first caste-based census took place in India in 1881. At that time, the total population of India was 25.38 crore. After that, the caste census has been conducted every ten years. In 1901, for the first time, castes were classified based on profession and varna. A total of 1,642 castes were recorded. The last caste census before independence was conducted in 1931 under which 4,147 castes were recorded.
In 1941, a caste census was conducted, but due to the Second World War, the survey could not be completed and was never made public.
After independence, the first census was conducted in 1951. The government decided that only data on Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) would be collected. The decision was taken in the interest of national unity.
In 1991, all states were allowed to conduct surveys to prepare lists of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). It was done to empower castes socially and economically. However, no national-level caste census has been carried out to date.
The last census in India was conducted in 2011. The next census was scheduled for 2021 but did not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even then, the demand for a caste census was raised by the opposition. At that time, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) opposed the idea of a caste census.
Notably, in 2011, when the national census was conducted, the Congress government outright refused to fulfil the promise to conduct a caste census. Senior Congress ministers, including Pranab Mukherjee and P. Chidambaram, stopped the Manmohan Singh government from carrying it out. However, later, under pressure from OBC and Dalit leaders, the then government of India conducted a caste-based socio-economic survey between 2012–13 for appearance’s sake. It was not part of the national census, and its report was never made public.
When the Bihar caste census report was released on 2nd October 2023, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi once again declared on behalf of his party that a caste census would be conducted at the national level if the Congress Party comes back to power.
From ‘No’ to ‘Yes’
Until recently, PM Modi used to say that he recognised only four castes: the poor, youth, women, and farmers. RSS leaders have always maintained that they consider everyone Hindu and that the idea of a caste census is flawed. The government too stated in Parliament that a caste census would promote casteism in society.
However, on 30th April 2025, the Modi government suddenly announced the decision to conduct a caste-based census. For the first time since 1931, a caste census will be conducted alongside the national population census.
The announcement made by the Modi government has triggered intense political debate. It is believed that the census will significantly influence electoral calculations and strategies. The survey could also reshape the direction of reservations, resource allocation, and social policies.
Why the Rohini Commission is being discussed
In 2023, a caste census was conducted in Bihar. Even before the data was made public, the Modi government constituted the Rohini Commission on the lines of the Kaka Kalelkar and Mandal Commissions. On 2nd October 2017, a commission was formed under the chairmanship of retired Delhi High Court Chief Justice G. Rohini. The commission was formed under Article 340 of the Constitution of India. The purpose of the commission was to sub-categorise OBCs. It is known as the Rohini Commission.
Article 340 of the Indian Constitution enables the government to appoint a commission to investigate the conditions and backgrounds of socially and educationally backward classes. Under this, the President can order the appointment of such a commission. So far, three commissions have been formed under this article.
Before the Rohini Commission, the Mandal Commission was formed in 1979, which recommended reservation for the OBC category. The recommendations were kept on hold by the governments of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi from 1980 to 1989. In 1990, the V.P. Singh government implemented them.
Before the Mandal Commission, the Kaka Kalelkar Commission was formed in 1953 by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. This commission submitted a report on backward castes to the government. However, the recommendations were not accepted by the Nehru government.
Recommendations of the Rohini Commission
Since its formation in 2017, the tenure of the Rohini Commission was extended 13 times. Eventually, on 31st July 2023, the commission submitted its 1,100-page report to the President. According to the report, there are 2,633 OBC castes in India. Out of these, 983 castes – around 37% – have not received the benefits of reservation yet.
In 2018, the commission studied data on 1.3 lakh government jobs allocated to OBCs by the Centre over five years, and admissions into institutions like IITs and IIMs over three years.
Media reports suggest that the commission found that only 25% of OBC castes were availing 97% of OBC reservation benefits in jobs and education. The remaining 75% of OBC castes had only a 3% share. For 983 OBC castes, the share was ZERO.
Some reports suggested that the Rohini Commission has suggested dividing the 3,000 OBC castes into four categories. These categories could be based on full beneficiaries, partial beneficiaries, those not benefiting at all, and completely deprived castes. These could be allotted 10%, 5%, 8%, or whatever quotas the data suggests.
If the Rohini Commission’s recommendations are implemented, quotas for some powerful OBC castes may reduce. On the other hand, those castes that have received no or very limited reservation benefits so far will see their quota increase.
What would be the effect of implementation of Rohini Commission report
The implementation of the Rohini Commission’s recommendations and caste census could benefit many deprived groups. The report would help identify which castes are the most deprived in education, employment, and healthcare. This could make welfare schemes more effective.
With these recommendations, it would be easier to implement reservation policies in a new manner and distribute resources more equitably.
In addition, the identities of communities that have always faced inequality and marginalisation would be brought to light. This would give the government an opportunity to work on their issues. If a particular caste has education and income levels lower than the national average, steps could be taken for improvement, and new policies could be formed.
Supreme Court has also upheld ‘reservation within reservation’
On 1st August 2024, a seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud ruled 6–1 that states may prioritise certain castes within SC-ST reservations if they are more socio-economically backward. Creamy layers can be identified even within SC-ST groups, and those who have already benefited can be excluded.
Following this judgement, on 14th April 2025, the Telangana Government implemented classification within the Scheduled Caste reservation system. The existing 15% SC quota was divided into three sub-groups to ensure reservation reaches the truly needy.
Accordingly, the 15 most backward communities received 1% reservation, 18 moderately benefited communities got 9%, and 26 relatively better-off groups were given 5%.
What political challenges may arise
The Rohini Commission’s recommendations could cause political upheaval. If accepted, a large OBC voter bloc may fragment into several categories.
For decades, Congress and regional parties across the country have engaged in politics over OBC reservations. Be it Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Apna Dal, or SubhaSP in Uttar Pradesh; or JDU, RJD, and VIP in Bihar; or INLD and other Jat-Patel outfits in Haryana, all these parties may now appear agitated over the division of reservation among sub-castes, since they have long benefited from the absence of a separate column for sub-caste data in the census.
This report was first published on OpIndia Hindi which can be checked here.
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