Rajasthan OBC survey: 3.63 crore population, 7 communities hold 55% share
Synopsis
A court-mandated OBC commission in Rajasthan has mapped 3.63 crore people across 92 communities — and found that just seven of them hold over half the population share while 18 communities have fewer than 100 members in government jobs. The data is now the state's primary tool for deciding OBC quotas in upcoming local body elections.
Key Takeaways
The Rajasthan OBC (Political Representation) Commission , chaired by retired Justice Madanlal Bhati , surveyed 92 OBC communities , including 5 MBC communities .
Total OBC population in Rajasthan is more than 3.63 crore , with a sex ratio of 914 females per 1,000 males .
Seven communities — led by Jats and Jat Sikhs at 20.14% — collectively hold 55.14% of the OBC population share.
Rajasthan has approximately 3.92 lakh OBC government employees ; Jat, Gurjar, Saini and Yadav communities account for 78% of them.
18 OBC communities have fewer than 100 members each in government service, highlighting deep representational gaps.
The report will serve as the empirical basis for OBC reservation in Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Body elections, per the Supreme Court's triple test .
The Rajasthan Other Backward Classes (Political Representation) Commission has released its comprehensive survey report ahead of the state's upcoming Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Body (ULB) elections, revealing that the total OBC population in Rajasthan stands at more than 3.63 crore. The report, prepared under the chairmanship of retired Justice Madanlal Bhati, covered 92 OBC communities, including five classified under the Most Backward Classes (MBC) category.
The findings are expected to serve as a critical statistical basis for determining OBC reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions and Urban Local Bodies, in accordance with the Supreme Court's triple test framework.
Population Distribution: Seven Communities Dominate
One of the report's most significant findings is that just seven communities together account for 55.14 per cent of Rajasthan's total OBC population. Jats and Jat Sikhs form the largest group at 20.14 per cent, followed by Gurjars at 9.11 per cent, Kumhars and Kumawats at 8.36 per cent, and Malis, Sainis and Baghwans at 7.80 per cent. Jangid/Suthars represent 3.49 per cent, Yadavs/Ahirs account for 3.22 per cent, and Mevs constitute 3.02 per cent.
The survey records the male OBC population at 1,87,50,094 (52.23 per cent) and the female population at 1,71,05,082 (47.76 per cent), with a sex ratio of 914 females per 1,000 males.
Government Employment: Stark Gaps Across Communities
Rajasthan has approximately 3.92 lakh OBC government employees, according to the report. However, representation is heavily skewed: Jat, Gurjar, Saini and Yadav communities together account for roughly 78 per cent of all OBC government employees. At the other end of the spectrum, 18 OBC communities have fewer than 100 members each in government service — a disparity the Commission flagged as requiring urgent policy attention.
The report underlines that representation must be assessed not merely through population share, but through the lens of social, economic and political participation.
Self-Employment and Labour Participation
Approximately 12.50 lakh individuals from OBC communities are engaged in self-employment across Rajasthan. Among the major communities, self-employment figures include: Kumhar-Kumawat at 1.24 lakh, Jat at 1.21 lakh, Mali-Saini at 1.15 lakh, and Jangid at 85,114. The Kumhar-Kumawat and Saini communities also show significant participation in the labour and daily-wage sectors.
Significance for OBC Reservation in Local Body Elections
The Commission's report carries particular weight given that the Supreme Court has mandated a triple test — empirical inquiry into backwardness, inadequacy of representation, and overall reservation limits — before OBC quotas can be applied in local body elections. The Bhati Commission's survey is designed to fulfil the first two legs of this test.
Notably, this survey encompasses communities with substantially different levels of economic participation and political presence, reinforcing the argument that a uniform reservation approach may not address the needs of the most underrepresented groups.
What Happens Next
Officials indicated that the Commission's findings are expected to have significant implications for the reservation process ahead of the Panchayati Raj and ULB elections in Rajasthan. The report is being positioned as a foundation for evidence-based policymaking and targeted intervention for communities that have remained comparatively underrepresented in public institutions. The state government is yet to announce a formal timeline for translating the survey findings into reservation policy.
Point of View
While 18 communities cannot field even 100 members in public service. Treating the OBC bloc as a monolith for reservation purposes has historically benefited the already-organised communities at the expense of the genuinely marginalised. The Supreme Court's triple test exists precisely to prevent this — but its effectiveness depends entirely on how rigorously the state translates this survey into differentiated policy. If the government applies a flat quota without sub-categorisation, the data will have served as political cover rather than a tool for social justice.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Rajasthan OBC survey report released in August 2025?
It is a comprehensive social, economic and political survey conducted by the Rajasthan Other Backward Classes (Political Representation) Commission, chaired by retired Justice Madanlal Bhati, covering 92 OBC communities including 5 Most Backward Classes. The report documents population, government employment, self-employment and political representation data to guide OBC reservation in upcoming Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Body elections.
What is the total OBC population in Rajasthan according to the survey?
The Commission found that the total OBC population in Rajasthan is more than 3.63 crore. Of this, 1,87,50,094 (52.23%) are male and 1,71,05,082 (47.76%) are female, with a sex ratio of 914 females per 1,000 males.
Which OBC communities are the largest in Rajasthan?
Jats and Jat Sikhs form the largest OBC community at 20.14% of the OBC population, followed by Gurjars (9.11%), Kumhars and Kumawats (8.36%), and Malis, Sainis and Baghwans (7.80%). Together, seven communities account for 55.14% of the total OBC population.
Why does the OBC survey matter for Rajasthan's local body elections?
The Supreme Court has mandated a triple test — including an empirical inquiry into backwardness and inadequacy of representation — before OBC reservations can be applied in local body elections. The Bhati Commission's survey fulfils this requirement and is expected to directly shape the reservation framework for Panchayati Raj institutions and Urban Local Bodies in Rajasthan.
How unequal is OBC representation in Rajasthan government employment?
Of approximately 3.92 lakh OBC government employees in Rajasthan, four communities — Jat, Gurjar, Saini and Yadav — account for around 78%. At the same time, 18 OBC communities have fewer than 100 members each in government service, highlighting a sharp representational imbalance within the broader OBC category.
