Khushi Bajpai
Published on: 25August, 2022 at 18:39 IST
The Madras High Court has been petitioned by K Balu, the head of the Advocates’ Forum for Social Justice, in an effort to establish the 9th National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) and choose its chairperson, vice chairperson, and members. Additionally, the petition calls for the creation of NCBC State/Regional entities.
The Union Ministry of Law and Justice, the ministry of appointments, and the appointment committee were instructed to file their reply when the case was taken up on Wednesday by the bench comprising Chief Judge Manishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala.
Even though the petitioner claimed that four weeks may be granted since six weeks was too long, the chief justice insisted that six weeks was being intentionally given so that the proper course of action could be conducted.
“We acknowledge the merits of your petition. We typically give lengthy adjournments in these situations where appointments have not yet been made so that they might be made during this period.”
The petitioner had argued that despite the commission’s establishment in 1993, it did not possess the constitutional standing of the NCBC on August 14, 2018 and was not tasked with drafting the constitution at that time because it was a separate legal organization.
Although the commission’s three-year term was established by the President of India on February 28, 2019, through a gazette notification, it has not been reconstituted since. This caused a buildup of unresolved problems affecting the OBC community.
He continued by saying that the NCBC’s regional and state entities will help it deal with urgent situations faster. Even though the ministry of social justice and empowerment had received a complaint in this regard, the matter was still open.
S. Ramadas, the founder of the PMK, had earlier written to the Prime Minister, pleading with him to form the ninth commission as soon as possible.