Lok Sabha passes amendment bill to give OBC commission Constitution status.

The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017 passed in Lok Sabha. The bill grants National Commission on Backward Classes (NCBC) constitutional status, par with National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (NCSC and NCST).

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed an amendment bill to give constitutional status to the OBC Commission. The Constitution (123rd Amendment) bill, passed by the Lower House, grants National Commission on Backward Classes (NCBC) constitutional status, par with National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (NCSC and NCST).

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot moved for passage of an amendment to the bill that was returned to the Lower house by the Rajya Sabha last year with some changes.

The official amendment moved by Gehlot sought to negate the amendments made by the Upper House when it passed the bill on July 31, 2017. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on April 10, 2017.

Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha had moved an amendment to clause 3 of the bill seeking to provide for appointment of all the five members of the Commission from the OBC community, including a woman and a person from the minority community.