Supreme Court Asks Centre If Any Commission Has Been Formed To Examine OBC Reservation In Panchayats

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre if any Commission has been formed to examine the issue relating to political representation of OBCs in Panchayats. The Court asked the Union's counsel to get instructions in a plea seeking a commission for this purpose. The matter was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha. 

At the outset, the petitioner stated that–

"Article 340 provides for a designated commission. There is no commission which has been constituted till date."

When the CJI enquired about Justice Rohini Commission, the petitioner submitted–

"So far as political representation is concerned, there is no commission. After the Mandal commission in 2017, there was Justice Rohini commission for a different purpose. It does not cover empirical data for this purpose of political representation."

To this, Justice PS Narasimha orally remarked–

"Political representation of backward classes requires State acts to be amended to have the provisions for that. All the State acts have been amended to include this after the Constitutional Amendment. Political representations in panchayats, this is what you're saying, right? Those amendments are bought for..."

At this juncture the CJI directed the Union's counsel to take instructions on the factual position of the setting up of a commission. Two weeks were granted for the same.

CASE TITLE: Mangesh Shankar v. UoI WP(C) No. 1007/2021

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