Haryana: The Haryana government’s decision to implement sub-quotas within the Scheduled Caste (SC) reservation framework has evoked mixed reactions from various sections of the community. The move follows the Supreme Court’s directive to divide the SC community into two groups—Deprived Scheduled Castes (DSC) and Other Scheduled Castes (OSC)—and allocate 50% each of the existing 20% SC quota in government jobs to these groups.
A notification formalizing this decision is set to be issued by the state’s chief secretary. The DSC category, which includes historically marginalized groups such as Balmikis, Dhanaks, Mazhabi Sikhs, and Khatiks, has welcomed the move, seeing it as a long-overdue correction to ensure equitable access to reservation benefits. On the other hand, the OSC category—comprising groups such as Chamars, Jatias, and Ravidasis—has criticized the decision, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of using the policy to divide the SC community for political gain.
The sub-quota proposal, first recommended in 2020 under the Haryana Scheduled Castes (Reservation in Admission in Educational Institutions) Act, aimed to address the perceived dominance of OSCs in both educational and employment sectors. BJP leaders, including former ministers Anoop Dhanak and Bishamber Singh Valmiki, have lauded the decision as “historic,” arguing that the DSCs have long been deprived of their rightful share of reservation benefits.
“Members of the OSC group have dominated the reservation system for years, taking a disproportionate share of jobs and educational opportunities due to their greater resources. This decision restores balance by ensuring that the most marginalized groups are not left behind,” said Dhanak.
However, opposition leaders and activists have voiced concerns. Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal accused the government of creating divisions within the SC community for electoral advantage, citing the BJP’s recent success in winning eight out of 17 SC-reserved seats in the state assembly. “This bifurcation of the SC quota is an attempt to divide the community and score political points. Instead of addressing the backlog of unfilled SC vacancies in government jobs, the BJP is deepening societal rifts,” Bhukkal stated.
Dalit activist Vikram Dumolia, president of the Ambedkar Missionaries Vidyarthi Association, also criticized the decision. He argued that the government’s failure to appoint SC representatives to key positions in Haryana’s universities undermined their claims of supporting marginalized groups. “If the government genuinely wanted to uplift DSC communities, it could have done so by offering them additional benefits under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category without disrupting the existing SC quota,” Dumolia added.
