Madhya Pradesh pushes OBC reservation to 27% amid deep social inequality

Daijiworld Media Network - Bhopal

Bhopal, Oct 14: The Madhya Pradesh government has filed a 15,000-page affidavit in the Supreme Court seeking to increase OBC reservation in the state from 14% to 27%, justifying the move with data highlighting persistent caste-based discrimination, economic deprivation, and gender inequality.

The affidavit opens with a historical narrative, praising ancient India as a casteless, merit-based society disrupted by foreign invasions, yet later notes that caste-based exploitation has contributed to economic decline—reflecting an internal contradiction in the government’s argument.

Empirical data forms the backbone of the state’s defence. A confidential 2023 survey conducted by Dr BR Ambedkar Social Science University in Mhow, covering nearly 10,000 families