One Hundred and Second (102nd) Constitutional Amendment Act, 2018

The Parliament passes the ‘The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Third) Amendment Bill, 2017’ that aimed to give the constitutional status to National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). The RajyaSabha passed the measure on July 31, 2018, along with an amendment and sent it to the Lower House. The LokSabha had passed the bill on August 02, 2018 with alternate amendments as well as some more changes unanimously with over two-third majority.

Key Highlights

• The act passed now will repeal the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993. 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 OBC’s.
• The act brings the NCBC on par with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
• The NCBC now will comprise of five members appointed by the President. Their tenure and conditions of service will also be decided by the President through rules.
• This amendment make addition of articles 338B, 342A and modification of articles 338, 366 in the Indian Constitution.