Forward castes

Forward caste (also known as Forward Class, Forward Community, and General Class) is a term used in India to denote groups of people who do not qualify for any of the affirmative action schemes operated by the government of India. These schemes are known as Reservation Benefits. Forward castes form about 20–30 percent of the population, the number varying by region. Those groups who qualify are listed as Other Backward castes or Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, and they can take advantage of defined quotas amongst other benefits for education, tax benefits, special government schemes, government employment and political representation. The lists of Forward, Other Backward and Scheduled castes, and Scheduled tribes are compiled irrespective of religion. The lists are subject to change from time to time, dependent upon social, educational and economic factors. However, although lists are produced for those groups entitled to take advantage of the quotas, there is no such list for the Forward caste group; if a person does not belong to any of the listed groups then that person is by default a member of a group classed as Forward caste.

As of 2007^[update], forward castes had to compete only in the open category, as they are considered socially, educationally, and economically advanced. At that time the reservation proportion stood at 50% in central-government educational institutions and central-government jobs. However, in certain states, such as Tamil Nadu, the reservation percentage was around 69%.

Currently forward castes are only allowed to compete for seats in the unreserved category in educational institutions and central government jobs, regardless of their educational/economical status in the society. However, a significant percentage of the forward caste population lives below the poverty line and more than 30% of the members of this community are illiterate. To meet their aspirations, demands have been raised for providing separate reservations for the poor among forward caste populations. Many political parties like BJP, Samajwadi Party, LJP, Rastriya Janata Dal, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Bahujan Samaj Party have supported proposals for providing a separate reservation for the poor among the forward castes. These parties account for over 400 of the 542 members in the current parliament, as well as holding power in most states in the union.

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