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Constitutional status was given to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), by inserting Article 338B, through the:
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Answer: Option A — 102nd Amendment Act, 2018
Detailed Solution
The 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2018, gave constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) by inserting Article 338B in the Constitution.
Before the amendment:
- The National Commission for Backward Classes was a statutory body, set up in 1993 under the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993, after the Indra Sawhney judgment.
- Its main function was to examine requests for the inclusion or exclusion of communities in the central list of backward classes.
What the 102nd Amendment did:
- It inserted Article 338B, which created a constitutional National Commission for Backward Classes.
- It inserted Article 342A, which empowered the President to specify the socially and educationally backward classes in relation to each state or Union Territory, and Parliament to include or exclude classes from the list.
- It repealed the NCBC Act, 1993.
Composition:
The Commission consists of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and three other members, appointed by the President.
Functions of the NCBC:
- To investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the socially and educationally backward classes.
- To inquire into specific complaints about the deprivation of their rights and safeguards.
- To participate and advise in their socio-economic development.
- To present annual reports to the President.
- It has the powers of a civil court while investigating complaints.
- The Union and state governments must consult it on all major policy matters affecting the backward classes.
Later controversy:
The Supreme Court's interpretation of Article 342A in the Maratha reservation case (2021) led to a later amendment that restored the power of the states to make their own lists of backward classes.
Similar bodies:
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes are also constitutional bodies with similar functions.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The 95th, 98th and 106th Amendments dealt with other matters.
Quick tip
Remember: 102nd Amendment (2018) = constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (Article 338B) and Article 342A.
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Constitutional Amendments — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Constitutional Amendments, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the procedure for amending the Constitution under Article 368 and the most important amendments, such as the 1st, 7th, 42nd, 44th, 52nd, 61st, 73rd, 74th, 86th, 101st and 103rd Amendments, along with the basic structure doctrine. Exams ask what a particular amendment did: the 61st lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, the 73rd and 74th gave constitutional status to panchayats and municipalities, the 86th made education a Fundamental Right, and the 101st introduced GST. The 42nd Amendment (1976) is often called the 'mini-Constitution' because of how much it changed. Practise the constitutional amendments questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.