LS takes up bill on OBC commission

New Delhi : The Lok Sabha on Thursday took up for discussion an amendment bill to give constitutional status to the OBC Commission.

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 seeks 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.

The bill seeks to grant the National Commission on Backward Classes (NCBC) constitutional status at par with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.