Which of the following Amendment restores the powers of State Governments to identify and specify Socially and Economically Backward Class?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → 105th Amendment
The Constitution (105th Amendment) Act, 2021 restored the power of the states and union territories to prepare their own lists of Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBCs).
The 102nd Amendment (2018) had given constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (Article 338B) and added Article 342A on the identification of SEBCs.
In the Maratha reservation case (May 2021), the Supreme Court read Article 342A as leaving the identification of SEBCs to the Centre alone.
The 105th Amendment changed Articles 338B, 342A and 366 so that the central list is for the Centre’s purposes and each state may keep its own list.