Narendra Modi government introduces Bill in Lok Sabha for creation of OBC panel

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha seeking to create a new commission with constitutional powers for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) on the lines of similar bodies for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

Social justice and empowerment minister Thawar Chand Gehlot introduced the Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, a move seen as part of the ruling BJP’s outreach to politically crucial OBCs.

“In order to safeguard the interests of the socially and educationally backward classes more effectively, it is proposed to create a National Commission for Backward Classes with constitutional status at par with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes,” the Bill says.


Simultaneously, Gehlot moved another bill to repeal the existing National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) by revoking the Act governing it, saying the commission proposed in the constitution amendment bill will be more empowered and make the existing body “redundant”.

The proposed commission will have a chairperson, vice chairperson and three other members, and hear the grievances of socially and educationally backward classes, a function discharged so far by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

At present, the functions of the National Commission for Backward Classes are restricted to examining the requests for inclusion of any class of citizens as a backward class and hear complaints of over-inclusion or under-inclusion of any backward class in the existing quota and advise Centre, the constitution amendment bill said.