The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a bill to allow states and Union Territories to draw up their own list of Other Backward Communities (OBCs).
These lists can be different from that of the Central government’s one.
The bill was cleared with 385 votes for and none against it.
Following the passage of the bill, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi said: “I thank all Members of Lok Sabha for supporting The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2021. Once passed in Rajya Sabha, this Bill will go a long way in protecting the interests of OBCs.
#MonsoonSession.”
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2021, was brought in by the Union Cabinet to undo a categorical ruling by the Supreme Court in May that only the Central government can prepare an OBC list.
The court’s direction came during a hearing on the Maratha quota issue. It had then cited a law passed in August 2018 to give constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes.
“States have no power to add any caste to socially economically backward caste list due to the amendment made by Parliament,” the Supreme Court had observed back then.
Moving the bill Tuesday, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar described it as a historic legislation as 671 castes in the country would benefit from it.
