The term 'Other Backward Classes' (OBCs) emerged through constitutional provisions and administrative commissions in post-independent India, though its sociological roots lie deep within the traditional Varna-Jati framework. Etymologically, the term denotes collectivities that suffered historical disadvantages distinct from the ritual pollution associated with Untouchability (Scheduled Castes) or the geographical and cultural isolation of tribal communities (Scheduled Tribes).
- Constitutional & Legal Mandate: Article 340 of the Indian Constitution empowers the President to appoint a Commission to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes. This led to the establishment of the First Backward Classes Commission (Kaka Kalelkar Commission, 1953) and the Second Backward Classes Commission (Mandal Commission, 1979).
- Weberian Perspective on Stratification: Max Weber’s multidimensional approach to social stratification—comprising class (economic position), status (social honor/lifestyle), and party (power)—is vital for analyzing OBCs. OBCs frequently experience moderate economic standing (often as peasant proprietors or tenants) and varying social status, but historically lacked commensurate political and ritual power compared to the 'twice-born' (Dvija) upper castes.
- André Béteille's Intersectionality: Béteille, in his seminal study Caste, Class, and Power (1965) conducted in Sripuram village, demonstrated how caste, class, and power do not always overlap perfectly. The rise of OBCs exemplifies the growing divergence between ritual status and secular class-power in rural India.