The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday appointed Justice Ram Autar Singh, a retired judge of the Allahabad High Court, as the chairman of the dedicated backward classes commission. The commission is tasked with determining reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state’s three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions, in view of the forthcoming rural local bodies elections.
Commission Composition
The commission comprises four members: two retired additional district judges, Brijesh Kumar and Santosh Kumar Vishwakarma, and two retired IAS officers, Arvind Kumar Chaurasiya and SP Singh. Their appointments have been made for a period of six months.
Scope of Work
Complying with directives issued by the Supreme Court, the five-member commission will conduct contemporary and continuous empirical studies to assess the nature and impact of backwardness among OBC communities in rural local bodies. Based on its findings, the commission will recommend proportional reservation for backward classes in Panchayat institutions across the state, including village panchayats, kshetra panchayats, and district panchayats.
This move comes as the state prepares for upcoming rural local body elections, ensuring compliance with legal requirements for OBC reservation in panchayats.
