National Commission for Backward Classes

The commission was the outcome of Indra Sawhney & Ors. Vs. Union of India. The Supreme Court of India in its Judgement dated 16.11.1992 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 930 of 1990 – Indra Sawhney & Ors. Vs. Union of India and Ors., reported in (1992) Supp. 3 SCC 217 directed the Government of India, State Governments and Union Territory Administrations to constitute a permanent body in the nature of a Commission or Tribunal for entertaining, examining and recommending upon requests for inclusion and complaints of over-inclusion and under-inclusion in the list of OBCs.[2] The Supreme Court held that the Constitution recognised only social and educational — and not economic — backwardness.

The number of backward castes in Central list of OBCs has now increased to 5,013+ (without the figures for most of the Union Territories) in 2006 as per National Commission for Backward Classes.[3] In October 2015, National Commission for Backward Classes proposed that a person belonging to OBC with an annual family income of up to ₹15 lakhs should be considered as minimum ceiling for OBC.[4] NCBC also recommended sub-division of OBCs into 'backward', 'more backward' and 'extremely backward' blocs and divide 27% quota amongst them in proportion to their population, to ensure that stronger OBCs don't corner the quota benefits.[5][6][7]

The NCBC Bill, passed by Parliament of India inserted Article 338B into the Constitution after Articles 338 and 338A which deal with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (SC) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (ST) respectively.

Section 3 of the Act provides that the Commission shall consist of one chairman and four Members: a Chairperson who is or has been a judge of the Supreme Court or of a High Court; a social scientist; two persons who have special knowledge in matters relating to backward classes; and a Member-Secretary, who is or has been an officer of the Central Government in the rank of a Secretary to the Government of India. Their term is of Three years.[8]

The commission considers inclusions in and exclusions from the lists of communities notified as backward for the purpose of job reservations and tenders the needful advice to the Central Government as per Section 9(1) of the NCBC Act, 1993. Similarly, the states have also constituted commissions for BC's. As of 24 July 2014 over two thousand groups have been listed as OBCs. The National Commission for Backward Classes, National Commission for Scheduled Castes as well as National Commission for Scheduled Tribes have the same powers as a Civil Court.[10] Initially National Commission for Backward Classes was not empowered to look into the grievances of persons of Other Backward Classes (under Article 338(5) read with Article 338(10) of the Constitution, National Commission for Scheduled Castes was the competent authority to look into all the grievances, rights and safeguards relating to Backward Classes). But consequent to the 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act and the insertion of Article 338B, these powers are now vested in NCBC[11].

• Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011
• Other Backward Classes
• Creamy layer
• National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes
• Caste system in India

• Official website