We might not know what proportion of India’s population are OBCs with the idea of the caste census jettisoned, but the caste composition of primary school students is readily available and a rough indicator. It shows that 45% were OBC, 19% scheduled caste (SC), 11% scheduled tribe (ST) and the rest — which would include Hindu upper castes as well as the bulk of the population of other religious groups except Buddhists — roughly 25% in 2019-20.
