Putting an end to the decade-long campaign of the Samajwadi Party, the Centre has rejected the proposal of the UP Government for the inclusion of 17 Most Backward castes (MBCs) in Schedule Caste list. In last ten years, the Center has rejected this proposal of the UP Government three times. The process was initiated by the then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2005. The proposal was first rejected by the Center in 2006.
In anticipation of the approval by the Center, the State Government had also amended the UP Public Services (Reservation for Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes and Other Backward Castes) Act, 1994, to include these Most Backward Castes in the SC category. The MBCs include Banjara, Kahar, Kashyap, Kewat, Nishad, Bind, Bhar, Prajapati, Rajbhar, Batham, Gaur, Tura, Majhi, Mallah, Kumhar, Dheemar and Machhua. The amendment was however stayed by the Allahabad high court.