The Parliament has approved a key bill to provide constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes(NCBC) with the Rajya Sabha passing the measure. It will give the panel full powers to safeguard the rights and interests of the Other Backward Classes(OBCs).
The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill 2017 was passed after a spirited debate during which several members urged the Centre to make public the findings of the caste census and implement reservation accordingly, reported PTI.
It was cleared by the Lok Sabha on August 2 superseding the amendments earlier carried out by the Rajya Sabha, the report said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah termed as “historic” the passage of the bill.
“A historic moment for our country! I am glad that Parliament has passed the Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, which grants Constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes. This will contribute to the empowerment of the OBC communities across India,” Modi reportedly tweeted.
Shah said the bill fulfilled a long pending demand of the OBCs. “It is a historic legislation that underlines the Modi government’s commitment to bring the backward sections to the front row of the country’s development,” Shah was quoted as saying.
The bill was passed after the Upper House repealed the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993, the PTI report was pointed out.
The NCBC, a statutory body created in 1993, was given limited powers only to recommend to the government inclusion or exclusion of a community in the central list of OBCs. Also, the power to hear complaints of the OBCs and protect their interests remained with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, the report said.