Less than 24 hours after the Assam Cabinet approved a report by a Group of Ministers on granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for six communities, a process was initiated for the inclusion of seven other communities in the Central list of Other Backward Classes (OBC).
These seven communities are Bhar/Rajbhar, Bhujel, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Kiran Sheikh, Newar, Sabar, and Satnami.
Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, the Chairman of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), conducted a hearing with the representatives of the seven communities in Guwahati on Thursday (November 27, 2025).
“Some of these communities have been included in the State OBC list. We have begun the process of examining their inclusion in the Central list,” he said.
“The NCBC will follow the directives of the Supreme Court and established guidelines, while reviewing the documents and parameters before any final recommendation,” Mr Ahir said.
