The 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act, enacted in 2018, established constitutional status for the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).
Prior to this amendment, the NCBC was a statutory body, established under the National Commission for Backward Classes (Reservation in Services for Other Backward Classes) Act, 1993.
Statement I is incorrect: While the bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 5th April 2017, it was passed by the Lok Sabha on 11th April 2018, not 31st July 2018.
Statement II is correct: The amendment inserted a new Article 338B into the Constitution. This article provides for the establishment of the National Commission for Backward Classes, defining its powers, functions, and composition.
Article 338B mandates the government to consult the NCBC on all major policy matters affecting socially and educationally backward classes.
Statement III is correct: The amendment came into effect during the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi. The bill was passed by Parliament and received the President's assent in August 2018.
The 102nd Amendment also amended Article 342A, empowering the President to notify socially and educationally backward classes in a state or union territory, after consultation with the Governor. This means that the power to specify backward classes was shifted to the President, thereby limiting the role of states in this regard.
The amendment aimed to provide constitutional recognition and safeguards to backward classes, ensuring their representation and addressing issues of social and educational inequality.
