Rajya Sabha passes Backward Classes Bill

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha passed The Constitutional (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017 that seeks to give constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes on the lines of the SC and ST Commission, with the government assuring that the new law will not encroach on the rights of the states or the federal structure.

The Bill, which had been sent to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha, was debated at length in the Upper House before it was put to vote. The Select Committee, headed by BJP MP Bhupendra Yadav, had submitted its report last week.

Before the Bill was put to vote, Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said the BJP government has always been and will always be in favour of reservations for the deprived sections of society. He said four amendments are being made in the Constitution under this Bill.


“No alteration will be made in the powers of the states or the federal structure,” Gehlot said. He said Articles 15 and Article 16 have not been amended and powers of the states will in no way be changed.

He emphasised that the backward commission will have the same powers as the SC and the ST Commission. “While framing rules rights of states will not be changed. There is no need to harbour any misgivings,” he said.