With an apparent attempt to woo Jats ahead of Lok Sabha polls, the government today took a step forward towards granting them reservation in central government jobs as it asked the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) to expeditiously take a call on it.
Considering a proposal of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Union Cabinet held that NCBC should reconsider its earlier decision of 2011 in which it had rejected demands for reservation to the community at the central level.
The Cabinet asked the NCBC to take an early decision on including Jats in the central list of OBCs by which the community members can avail benefits of reservation in central government jobs and central education institutions as per the existing norms, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters.
"After detailed deliberation and analysis of data by the government, the Cabinet decided to ask the NSBC expeditiously and revert to the Cabinet," he said.
He said the demand for reservation for Jats has come from nine states -- Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Bihar.
Asked about the timeframe, Tewari said, "we hope the NCBC will take it up expeditiously and revert to the government. The Centre is positive but there is a process."
On whether NCBC could turn down the Cabinet's advice, the minister said, "every Committee or Commission has a right to negate or approve. When the government takes a political consideration and the Cabinet recommends something, it has to be taken seriously by the Commission."
The decision assumes significance as it may be seen as a sop to woo the Jats by the UPA government ahead of Lok Sabha polls, particularly in view of perception that the community was moving towards BJP after the riots in Muzaffarnagar in UP in August.
