Vanniyars lead the Most Backward Classes (MBC) – Denotified Communities (DNC), in terms of representation in higher education and public employment.
In the case of admission to the MBBS course, 5,938 candidates belonging to the MBC-DNCs were selected during 2018-2022, both under the 20% exclusive reservation and the category of open competition (OC).ย Of them, Vanniyars account for 3,354, representing about 56% of the chosen MBC-DNC candidates. In respect of candidates qualified in tests for police sub-inspectors during 2013-22, the MBC-DNCs constituted 605, of which 307 were Vanniyars.ย
Likewise, in admission to the government law colleges (2018-22), 2,096 persons belonging to the Vanniyars were chosen out of a total of 4,962 MBC-DNC candidates. With regard to post-graduate assistants selected by the Teachers Recruitment Board for government schools in 2021, the total number of qualified MBC-DNC candidates was 893, of which 533 were from the community. All these data have been furnished in the State Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Departmentโs reply to a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The MBC-DNCsโ quota ofย 20% forms part of the 69% quota for Backward Classes, BC (Muslims), MBC-DNCs and Scheduled Castes (SCs)/Scheduled Tribes (STs). There are 41 communities in the list of MBCs and 68 under DNCs. In competitive examinations conducted by various agencies of the State government, meritorious candidates belonging to the reserved communities are adjusted first against the Open Category.ย
Going by the government data, MBC-DNCs, on an average,ย constituteย about 25% of successful candidates in every competitive examination. In the case of education, the highest was 32.6% with regard to admission to the Dr. Ambedkar Law University and the lowest, 22.2%, in the case of BDS admission. As for public employment, the highest was 36.07%, in respect of Group IV posts, for which examinations were held during 2013-23. The lowest was 25.05% in Group II posts, in the examinations held in 2013 and 2018.
The release of the governmentโs data has been made at a time when the Pattali Makkal Katchi and the representatives of the community have been demanding the restoration of 10.5% exclusive reservation for the Vanniyars within the quota of MBCs. The previous AIADMK regime, at the fag end of its term, got a law enacted but it was later struck down by the Supreme Court.ย
The government data reveals that invariably, the Vanniyars have been getting more than 10.5%, be it education or employment. A senior official emphasises that given the data, it would not do good for the community to stick to the demand of 10.5%, as their share will be capped at that level, as far as the repealed law was concerned. So, it is preferable to remain in the bigger basket of MBC-DNCs which is 20%. However, a political leader of the Vanniyar community says that this problem can be overcome if the concept of elasticity in reservation is applied.
