About Us

Since Independence the state of Jammu and Kashmir has achieved significant growth and development in reducing poverty and improving crucial human development indicators such as levels of literacy, education and health. However there are indications that all communities and social groups have not equally shared the benefits of growth process, among them the OBCs which Constituted the major chunk of population are seriously lagging behind in terms of most of the human development indicators, while the perception of deprivation is wide spread among them, as there has been no systematic efforts to analyse their condition.
The Other Backward Classes in the State of Jammu and Kashmir are constituting the secular social structure as they belong to all the main three religions viz Hindu , sikh and muslim having by and large the homogenous social, economic and political characteristics living in all the three regions of the state. Till date no in- depth study with regard to the socio-economic, and educational development of these classes/castes have been done. Genarally it is revealed that they are lagging behind the other sections of the society in all spheres of development.
In the constitution of India, Other Backward Classes are described as “socially and educationally backward classes” and Government is enjoined to ensure their Social and Educational Development. Under Article 340 of the Indian Constitution, it is obligatory for the Government to promote the Welfare and Development of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Article 340(1) states that the President may by order appoint a commission, consisting of such persons as he thinks fit to investigate the conditions of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes within the territory of India and the difficulties under which thdy: labour and to make recommendations to the Govt for the removal of such difficulties and to improve their condition. Article 340(2) states that a commission so appointed shall investigate the matters referred to them and present to the president a report setting out the facts as found by them and make such recommendations as they think fit. Accordingly some Commissions have been constituted by the Govt of India from time to time for the mentioned purpose and on January 1, 1979, a commission popularly known as the Mandal Commission was constituted by the Government of India under the Chairmanship of B. P. Mandal who submitted a report in December 1980 which stated that the population of OBCs, including the State Jammu and Kashmir was around 52 percent of the total population of the country. The Mandal Commission Recommendations were implemented by the Govt of India in 1992 and 27 percent reservation was given to OBCs. Whereas the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has provided only 2% reservation on the recommendations of Anand Commission to the 26 castes from among the OBCs on the nomenclature of Other Social Castes(OSCs).
The Govt of J&K has constituted two institutions on the nomenclature of Backward Classes one as Backward Classes Commission in the light of the Hon’ble Supreme Court Judgment, Indra Sawhney Vs Union of India popularly mown as Mandal Commission case and the other as Jammu and Kashmir State \dvisory Board for the welfare and Development of other Backward Classes.