Which of the following Articles of the Constitution of India deals with "socially and educationally backward classes"?

Correct option is D

The correct answer is: (d) Article 342A

Explanation

Article 342A was inserted into the Constitution of India by the 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2018. It explicitly deals with the identification and notification of "Socially and Educationally Backward Classes" (SEBCs), commonly referred to as Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

• Clause (1): Empowers the President of India, in consultation with the Governor of a State, to specify by public notification the socially and educationally backward classes in the Central List.
• Clause (2): Clarifies that only the Parliament has the authority to include or exclude any community from this Central List.
• Note on Subsequent Changes: To protect federal authority, the 105th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2021 amended Article 342A (adding Clause 3) to explicitly restore and clarify the power of State Governments and Union Territories to maintain their own separate state lists of SEBCs for state-level reservations.

Information Booster

The Triad of Welfare Commissions

The Indian Constitution contains a specific structured framework establishing National Commissions for vulnerable groups, grouped closely together in Part XVI:

Additional Knowledge

• Article 115: Deals with Supplementary, additional, or excess grants in the Parliament of India. This is a financial provision used when the money authorized by the Appropriation Act for a specific service in the current financial year is found to be insufficient.
• Article 366(26C): Also inserted by the 102nd Amendment, this article explicitly defines "Socially and Educationally Backward Classes" as those backward classes deemed under Article 342A for the purposes of the Constitution.