The Union government on Wednesday said that it had appointed just a chairperson and one member to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), in response to a Rajya Sabha question, asking why the Commission was yet to have a vice-chairperson and members.
The current chairperson for the NCBC, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, was appointed by the President in November 2022, after months of the Commission functioning without a chief.
In response to the question from Tamil Nadu MP Anbumani Ramadoss, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, A. Narayanaswamy said that in addition to Mr. Ahir, one member had been appointed - Bhuvan Bhushan Kamal.
He added in the response, “The chairperson, vice-chairperson, and other members of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) are appointed as per provisions of Article 338-B of the Constitution.”
However, as per Article 338-B of the Constitution, which provided for the constitution of the NCBC, “Subject to the provisions of any law made in this behalf by Parliament, the Commission shall consist of a chairperson, vice-chairperson and three other members.”
Since the constitution of the first NCBC in 1993, the Commission has always had at least three members in addition to a chairperson and a member-secretary. However, the Commission got its first vice-chairperson only in 2019, while it was being headed by Bhagwan Lal Sahni. After Mr. Sahni’s term ended in February 2022, the Commission was working without a full-time chair till Mr. Ahir was appointed.
