Highlights

• The Bill extending constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was cleared unanimously by the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
•  The Lok Sabha had passed the proposed law on August 2 with more than a two-thirds majority.
• In the Upper House, the Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017, was adopted by all the members, incorporating certain amendments made by the Lok Sabha.
• Several Opposition members, however, recommended that the government should make public the caste census findings, based on which the reservation policy should be formulated.
• NCBC would not encroach upon the rights of State governments as they would have their own backward classes commissions.
• States had their own lists of OBC castes, while the Centre had a separate one and that the NCBC would make recommendations only to the Centre.
• National Commission for Backward Classes is a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment established on 14 August 1993. It was constituted pursuant to the provisions of the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.
• The commission was the outcome of Indra Sawhney & Ors. Vs. Union of India

Source: The Hindu