New OBC panel set up
Q. What is the name of the newly proposed OBC panel?- Published on 24 Mar 17a. National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Categories
b. National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes
c. National Commission for Educationally and Socially Backward Classes
d. National Commission for Educationally and Socially Backward Categories
ANSWER: National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes
The Centre has approved a proposal to set up a national commission for OBCs with constitutional status.
This is an initiative that carries the symbolic gesture of putting backwards on a par with scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
The announcement, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Ram Manohar Lohia, a mascot for Mandal classes has the proposed OBC panel, to be named National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes.
It will be created through a constitutional amendment similar to the ones providing for national commissions for SCs and STs.
It will replace the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) and will have the power of "grievance redressal" of backwards as exercised by the panels for SCs and STs.
The first big task before the new commission will be deciding the demand of Jats for OBC status.
In a departure from post-Mandal Commission paradigm, the Centre has proposed that Parliament will decide on inclusion and exclusion of communities in the central OBC list.
Currently, the Centre can simply issue a notification to change entries in the OBC list based on recommendations of the NCBC.
However, changes to the lists of SCs and STs can only be made through a legislation.
It has been a longstanding demand of OBC champions that the Mandal classes should get a separate constitutional identity , with its own grievance redressal mechanism.
The NCBC's mandate was limited to inclusion and exclusion of communities from the Central OBC list and OBC grievances were heard by the National Commission for SCs.
