{"id":27449,"date":"2026-08-12T00:06:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T18:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=27449"},"modified":"2026-08-12T00:06:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T18:36:56","slug":"102nd-constitutional-amendment-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/102nd-constitutional-amendment-act\/","title":{"rendered":"102nd Constitutional Amendment Act, Provisions, Controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b>102nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2018,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is an important amendment related to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) and the identification of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs). It gave constitutional status to the NCBC by inserting Article 338B and introduced Article 342A for specifying socially and educationally backward classes. It also inserted Article 366(26C) to define SEBCs.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b>102nd Constitutional Amendment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> later became controversial during the Maratha reservation case, as the Supreme Court interpreted Article 342A as affecting the power of States to identify their own backward classes. This issue was subsequently addressed through the 105th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2021.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">102nd Constitutional Amendment Act 2018 History\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 2018 was enacted to grant constitutional status to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/national-commission-for-backward-classes-ncbc\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, fulfilling a long-standing demand to bring it on par with the National Commissions for SCs and STs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before the 102nd constitutional amendment Act<\/span><b>,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 the <\/span><b>NCBC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> was a statutory body established in 1993, which lacked the constitutional authority to effectively protect and investigate the grievances of backward classes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">By introducing <\/span><b>Articles<\/b> <b>338B and 342A<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the Act aimed to institutionalise the identification and safeguarding of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) under a robust and centralised framework.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">102nd Constitutional Amendment Act Key Provisions\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 2018 altered the procedure for identifying Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs); the Act attempted to streamline a deeply sensitive socio-political process. The major provisions of the 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act are listed below:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Constitutional Status (Article 338B):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It elevated the NCBC to a constitutional body with five members appointed by the President.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Dedicated Mandate: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Act empowered the NCBC to monitor constitutional safeguards and investigate specific grievances for SEBCs.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Civil Court Powers:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It granted the NCBC the authority to summon individuals, demand documents, and receive evidence on oath.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Presidential Power (Article 342A):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Act authorises the President to issue the initial notification of SEBCs for any State or Union Territory.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Parliamentary Control:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act mandates that only Parliament can make subsequent changes (inclusions or exclusions) to the Central SEBC list.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Clear Definition (Article 366(26C)):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It inserted a specific constitutional definition for \"socially and educationally backward classes\".<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Transfer of Jurisdiction:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Act removes the responsibility of monitoring backward classes from the <\/span><b>National<\/b> <b>Commission for Scheduled Castes <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/ncsc\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>(NCSC)<\/b><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and shifts it entirely to the NCBC.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Article 338B<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Article 338B of the Indian Constitution establishes the National Commission for Backwards Classes (NCBC). Added by the 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2018, it gave the commission constitutional status to protect, monitor, and investigate the rights and welfare of socially and educationally backward classes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Composition:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Commission consists of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, and three other Members.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Powers and Functions: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is tasked with investigating safeguards for socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs), enquiring into specific complaints, and advising governments on policy matters.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Article 342A<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Article 342A was inserted by the 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2018, to provide a constitutional framework for identifying Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs).<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Original Framework: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Under its original framework, the President could specify SEBCs for a State or Union Territory through public notification after consulting the Governor in the case of a State. Parliament was empowered to include or exclude classes from the Central List through legislation.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The original provision did not allow modification of the Presidential notification through another notification.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>105th Amendment: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Following the Supreme Court\u2019s interpretation in the Maratha reservation case, the 105th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2021, clarified that States and Union Territories can prepare and maintain their own SEBC lists for their respective purposes.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">102nd Constitutional Amendment Act Criticism\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><b>102nd Constitutional Amendment Act,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> while successful in elevating the NCBC to a constitutional body, faced intense scrutiny over its impact on India's federal structure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The practical implementation of the Act revealed significant drafting ambiguities and constitutional challenges, most notably the unintended erosion of state powers:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Loss of State Autonomy:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It stripped state governments of their historical, independent power to identify and list Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) within their own borders.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>States Reduced to Advisory Role:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> State governments were downgraded from decision-makers to mere advisors, only able to make recommendations to the Centre or the NCBC.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Over-Centralisation of Power:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> By introducing Articles 366 and 342A<\/span><b>,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> it concentrated the exclusive authority to specify SEBCs entirely in the hands of the President (the Central Government).<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Severe Legal Ambiguity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Poor drafting created massive confusion over legislative intent, leading to conflicting court rulings (e.g., the Bombay High Court initially ruled states still had power, which the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/supreme-court-of-india\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Supreme Court of India <\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">later overturned).<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">102nd Constitutional Amendment Act Controversy<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The major controversy arose over whether the amendment removed the power of States to identify backward classes for their own reservation policies. This issue came before the Supreme Court in the Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil v. Chief Minister case, commonly known as the <\/span><b>Maratha Reservation Case<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In May 2021, a five-judge Constitution Bench ruled <\/span><b>3:2<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that the 102nd Amendment had taken away the power of states to identify SEBCs for reservation in State employment and educational institutions.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to the majority opinion, only the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/president-of-india\/\" target=\"_blank\">President of India<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> could notify SEBCs under Article 342A, whereas Parliament could change the Central List.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The judgment also overturned Maharashtra's Maratha reservation law because it exceeded the general 50% reservation ceiling without establishing extraordinary circumstances for doing so.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">102nd Constitutional Amendment Act Resolution\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The controversy surrounding the 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 2018 was resolved by the 105th Constitutional Amendment Act, which officially restored the authority of states to maintain their own state-level OBC lists.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Restored State Autonomy:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It amended <\/span><b>Article 342A<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to guarantee that State Governments and <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/union-territories\/\" target=\"_blank\">Union Territories<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> possess the independent power to maintain their own separate lists of SEBCs for state-level purposes.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Clarification of Jurisdictions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The amendment clearly defined that the President\u2019s SEBC list applies strictly to Central Government purposes, successfully restoring the federal balance in social justice administration.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">102nd Constitutional Amendment Act UPSC PYQs<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><b>Q1. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Discuss the role of the National Commission for Backward Classes in the wake of its transformation from a statutory body to a constitutional body. <\/span><b>(UPSC Mains 2022)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Q2. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consider the following organizations\/ bodies in India: <\/span><b>(UPSC Prelims 2023)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The National Commission for Backward Classes<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The National Human Rights Commission<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The National Law Commission<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How many of the above are constitutional bodies?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(a) Only one<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(b) Only two<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(c) Only three<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(d) All four<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Ans: (a)<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 2018 gave constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). Check about the 102nd CAA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":27472,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,27],"tags":[1832,40,632],"class_list":["post-27449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-upsc-notes","category-upsc-polity-notes","tag-102nd-constitutional-amendment-act","tag-quest","tag-upsc-polity-notes"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27449"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27449\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27477,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27449\/revisions\/27477"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}