Rajasthan OBC Report Reveals: Top 10 Castes Control Politics & Government Jobs, These Have Almost None

Jaipur: The Rajasthan OBC Commission’s report has revealed a stark concentration of power within the Other Backward Classes. Of the 92 castes included in the OBC list, only 17 to 20 communities dominate political participation, government jobs, agriculture and other resources. The large majority of OBC castes remain on the margins.

According to the report submitted to Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on 5 August by Commission Chairman M.L. Bhati (retired judge) and other members, only 11 of the 92 OBC castes have had more than 1,000 members either contest elections or get elected as public representatives.

  As many as 22 castes have fewer than 100 families represented in politics. Eighteen castes have fewer than 100 persons in government service. Fewer than 10 instances of representation reported for: Madari-Bajigar, Choongar, Mochi, Nat, Bhopa, Jagri, Hela, Nyaria, Sirkival, Sapera and Transgender. The Sapera community has recorded zero participation in both politics and government jobs.

Key findings on dominance

The report shows that political power and access to government employment within the OBC category are heavily skewed towards a small group of communities. The Commission has recommended special efforts to bring the politically backward castes forward.

The report will form the basis for deciding OBC reservation of seats and posts in urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions. The government will use it to finalise which municipal posts and wards will be reserved for OBCs.

The Commission has counted five Most Backward Classes (MBC) communities: Gurjar, Banjara/Baldia/Labana, Gadia Lohar, Rebari/Raika/Dewasi and Gadaria (Gadri) along with the OBC list for the purpose of this assessment.

After submitting the report, Commission Chairman M.L. Bhati said the Commission did not prepare the report sitting in closed rooms. It collected important data related to the OBC communities through a survey covering 19 parameters and assessed the social, economic and political backwardness of the castes. He expressed hope that the data would benefit the concerned communities. Decisions on which specific wards will be reserved will be taken by the government and administration.

Government jobs – Leading castes

The same communities also dominate government employment:

1. Jat, Jat Sikh – 1,81,792

2. Gurjar – 44,475

3. Mali, Saini, Bagwan – 42,912

4. Kumhar (Prajapati), Kumawat – 40,782

5. Ahir (Yadav) – 39,707

6. Badhai, Jangid, Khati, Suthar – 32,561

7. Bishnoi – 27,273

8. Nai, Sain, Vednai – 18,174

9. Kalbi, Patel, Patidar, Anjana – 13,019

10. Dhakad – 11,469

Largest communities by number of families (with BPL and literacy)

1. Jat, Jat-Sikh – 15.18 lakh families | BPL: 1.16 lakh (7.70%) | Literacy: 81.27%

2. Gurjar – 6.70 lakh | BPL: 79,656 (11.90%) | Literacy: 76.89%

3. Kumhar, Kumawat – 6.11 lakh | BPL: 79,419 (13.00%) | Literacy: 77.43%

4. Mali, Saini – 5.84 lakh | BPL: 68,410 (11.67%) | Literacy: 79.02%

5. Badhai, Jangid – 4.12 lakh | BPL: 32,410 (7.86%) | Literacy: 82.11%

Castes with very low representation

Fewer than 50 instances of representation reported for: Tamoli, Thatheera, Bhadbhuja, Kunjra, Chobdar, Bagaria, Multaniz, Sikaligar, Kotwal, Patwa, Kherwa, Shorgar, Mogia, Kagzi and Faruqi.

Fewer than 10 instances of representation reported for: Madari-Bajigar, Choongar, Mochi, Nat, Bhopa, Jagri, Hela, Nyaria, Sirkival, Sapera and Transgender.

What the commission is and its task

The Rajasthan State OBC (Political Representation) Commission was constituted on May 9, 2025, under the chairmanship of retired District Judge Madan Lal Bhati. Its members include Mohan Morwal, Prof. Rajiv Saxena, Advocate Gopal Krishna and Pawan Mandavia.

Its task included conducting a survey to assess socio-economic and political conditions and to recommend reservation arrangements in line with applicable guidelines for the forthcoming local body and panchayat elections. Chairman M.L. Bhati told the media that the survey of OBC castes involved asking 19 questions of every family surveyed, and the report was finalised on that basis.

Meanwhile, the Panchayati Raj Department and the Department of Local Self-Government have accelerated preparations for the forthcoming Panchayati Raj and urban local body elections.

Congress has not received a copy of the OBC Commission report, Leader of Opposition Govind Singh Dotasara said.

Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara said the party had not yet received a copy of the report and would comment only after studying it. However, he alleged that the report appeared to have surveyed multiple castes in a manner that could fuel divisions within the OBC community.

Alleging that the BJP government in Rajasthan, acting at the behest of the RSS, is conspiring to curtail the constitutional rights of the OBC community, Dotasara claimed that the move to reduce the 21% OBC reservation quota limiting it to just 5% in several areas, under the guise of an arbitrary survey report constitutes a direct assault on OBC rights and violates the spirit of social justice. He described the decision as a gross injustice to the youth and political representation of the OBC community, which comprises over 50% of the state’s population. Social justice, he said, does not mean snatching the rights of one section to give them to another.

Dotasara pointed out that in Uttarakhand and Maharashtra, states from which the OBC Commission reportedly adopted its formula, recommendations were made to increase OBC reservation to 27%. He questioned why these rights are being curtailed in Rajasthan. While emphasising that the constitutional entitlements of Scheduled Castes (approximately 19%) and Scheduled Tribes (around 17%) must remain fully protected, he asked why the rights of the OBC community are being reduced when their population exceeds 50%.

The Congress leader asserted that if the government speaks of social justice, the rights of all sections must be safeguarded without any reduction in reservation. Tampering with OBC reservation is unacceptable, he said, adding that the Congress party and the state’s youth will fight this injustice from the streets to the legislative assembly and mount a fierce resistance. He demanded that the government remove the cap on the reservation system and ensure representation in proportion to population.