What Are Extremely Backward Classes? Why Are They Crucial In Bihar Politics? Explained

News18

19-05-2025

Last Updated:
The creation of Extremely Backward Classes in Bihar goes back to more than 50 years ago when Kapoori Thakur was the chief minister, who was from an extremely backward community
The Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) have been an important part of Bihar politics, with many political parties and leaders wooing them as they constitute 36% of the state's population.
With state elections in October-November, Congress, BJP and RJD are cultivating the EBCs as votebank.
Let us understand how EBCs have influenced Bihar politics, how they are classified and why parties give special attention to them during elections.
What Are EBCs?
Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) refer to socially and educationally disadvantaged castes that are more marginalised than the general Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The EBCs often lack access to education, political representation, economic opportunity, and basic social services.
EBCs are not a separate constitutional category like SC or ST. They are typically a sub-group within the OBC (Other Backward Classes) category, created to identify the most deprived castes among OBCs.
In India, the 10% reservation under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota (introduced via the 103rd Constitutional Amendment in 2019) is meant for economically backward people who do not fall under SC/ST/OBC categories.
EBCs may also be eligible for scholarships, housing schemes, fee waivers, and financial aid from both central and state governments.
How EBC Was Introduced In Bihar
The Mungeri Lal Commission identified 128 castes as 'backward" in economic, social, occupational and educational terms. These castes were then divided into two categories — 34 castes were placed under the Backward Class category, and 94 castes were listed under the Extremely Backward Class (EBC) category.
When Kapoori Thakur became the CM for the second time in 1977, he announced plans to implement the Mungeri Lal Commission's recommendations in 1978. The recommendations included 8% reservation for Backward Classes, 12% for Extremely Backward Classes, 3% for women of all castes, and 3% for economically backward castes. However, the reservation based on economic criteria was later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
In 1990s, the implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations, which provided 27% reservation for OBCs nationally, shifted focus to caste-based affirmative action. In Bihar, under Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav (1990–1997), reservations for OBCs were increased from 12% to 14%, but there was no specific mention of a purely economic EBC category at this time.
The EBCs as a pure economic category gained traction in Bihar and nationally in 2000s. The Bihar government began recognising economic deprivation for non-SC/ST/OBC groups, especially after the 2006 reservation policies for economically weaker sections in educational institutions. However, specific schemes targeting EBCs (as an economic group) in Bihar were limited until later.
In 2019, under the 103rd Constitutional Amendment, 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections was introduced across India for those not covered by SC/ST/OBC quotas.
In 2023, the Bihar assembly passed a bill to increase reservation for Backward Classes, Extremely Backward Classes, SCs and STs from the existing 50% to 65%. As per the Bihar Reservation Amendment Bill, quota for Extremely Backward Class (EBC) has been increased from 18% to 25%; for Backward Class (BC) from 12% to 18%; for SC from 16% to 20%; and for ST, the quota will be doubled, from 1% to 2%. The existing 3% reservation for BC women has been scrapped.
What Are The Castes Classified As EBC In Bihar?
The Bihar government released the results of a caste-based survey of the state on October 2, 2023, which revealed that 36% of the state's total population belongs to the EBC category, comprising a total of 112 castes.
In fact, it was RJD chief Lalu Prasad who first realised the importance of EBCs because of their cumulative numbers, much more than any individual dominant group like the Yadavs (14.27% of the population as per the caste census) and Muslims (about 17%).
Among the EBCs, only four castes — Teli, Mallah, Kanu, and Dhanuk — have a population of more than 2%. Among Muslim castes, Julaha is the only one with a significant presence, constituting 3.5% of the population. Seven other castes — Nonia, Chandravanshi, Nai, Barhai, Dhuniya (Muslim), Kumhar, and Kunjra (Muslim) — each have a population of less than 2%, as per an Indian Express report.
Beyond these 12, none of the remaining 100 EBC castes has even a 1% share in the total population, the added.
How BJP And Congress Trying To Woo EBCs
Rahul Gandhi on May 15 visited Darbhanga to attend the 'Shiksha aur Nyay Samvad' (Education and Justice Dialogue), where he addressed the backward, extremely backward, Dalit-Mahadalit, and minority communities, advocating for reservations in private institutions.
Gandhi raised the caste survey issue and demanded reservations for students from the SC and ST communities in private institutions. He accused the Nitish Kumar-led government of denying funds to them under the SC-ST plan, meant to ensure the communities receive a proportionate share of development benefits.
'We want to raise three demands — conducting a caste census in the country, reservation for OBCs (Other Backward Classes), EBCs (Economically Backward Classes), SCs and STs in private institutions and ensuring funds for SCs and STs under the government's SC-ST sub plan," he said, as quoted by India Today.
Meanwhile, BJP's national officer-bearers and the party's national leadership have toured the state and held meetings with its allies to complete the caste mapping, as per a report by The Economic Times. Sources said the BJP, along with its allies, reached an understanding that castes finalised from each seat allocation and candidates would be finalised later.
The BJP's Bihar unit is eyeing a larger pie of seats this time. It has suggested to its central leadership that sometimes smaller allies prefer individuals over caste while selecting candidates driven by funding concerns, and therefore were demanding a caste mapping exercise.
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tags :
2025 Bihar elections Bhiar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Bihar Politics News18 Explains
Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
May 19, 2025, 11:05 IST
News explainers What Are Extremely Backward Classes? Why Are They Crucial In Bihar Politics? Explained