Govt appoints commission for backward classes

The panel's recommendations will be applicable to those who are not covered under the existing reservation policy.

The government has constituted a commission for the economically backward classes, possibly to recommend measures including reservation in jobs and education for them.

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Headed by Major General (retd) SR Sinha, the commission's recommendations will be applicable to those who are "not covered under the existing reservation policy", Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment sources said on Sunday.

The commission will have one more member, Narendra Kumar, and an ex-officio member-secretary Mahendra Singh.

The commission would elicit the views of the state governments, union territories, suggest criteria for identification of economically backward classes, recommend the welfare measures and quantum of reservation in education and government employment, sources said.

At present, the constitution provides for reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and says that measures should be taken to socially and educationally uplift backward classes.