Friday, January 6 2006 17:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Union Cabinet today (Jan 6,2006) approved inclusion and modification of certain castes and communities in the central list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The new communities which have been included are located in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Pondicherry and Uttar Pradesh, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The new additions, which do not belong to the creamy layer, would get the benefit of reservation in direct recruitment in Civil Services and posts under the central government, he said.

The eligible pesons could also secure financial assistance from the National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation for skill development and setting up of self-employment ventures, Mukherjee said.