The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the extension of tenure of Justice Rohini Commission, set up to examine the issue of sub-categorisation within Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Central List.

Now the term of the panel, constituted under Article 340 of the Constitution, will be till July 31 2020. This is the 8th extension given to the commission.

Addressing the media after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the government has also approved the Term of Reference to the existing ToR of the Commission which include studying various entries in the Central List of OBCs and recommending correction of any repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or tranion.

The government says that the communities in the existing list of OBCs which have not been able to get any major benefit of the scheme of reservation for OBCs for appointment in Central Government posts and for admission in Central Government Educational Institutions are expected to be benefitted upon implementation of the recommendations of the Commission.

All persons belonging to the castes/communities which are included in the Central List of Socially Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) but which have not been able to get any major benefit of the existing scheme of reservation for OBCs in Central Government posts and for admission in Central Government Educational Institutions would be benefitted, it said.

The Commission is likely to make recommendations for benefit of such marginalised communities in the Central List of OBCs, a government press release noted.

"Orders for extension of the term of the Commission and addition in its Terms of Reference will be notified in the Gazette 'in the form of an Order made by the President, after receipt of the approval of the President to the same," it said.

The Commission was constituted under article 340 of the Constitution with the approval of President October 2, 2017. The Commission, headed by former Delhi High Court Chief Justice G Rohini, commenced functioning on October 11, 2017 and has since interacted with all the Stats/UTs which have subcategorised OBCs, and the State Backward Classes Commissions.

"The Commission has come to the view that it would require some more time to submit, its report since the repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or transcription etc appearing in the existing Central List of OBCs need to be cleared. Hence the Commission has sought extension of its term by six, that is up to 31st July 2020 and also addition in its existing Terms of Reference," the government said.