The Government of Uttar Pradesh has officially announced the appointment of the Chairman and members of the newly formed “Uttar Pradesh State Rural Local Bodies Dedicated Backward Classes Commission”. Issued by the Panchayati Raj Department, this significant government notification marks a critical step forward in addressing backward classes representation within the state's rural local self-governing structures.
The commission is being established to evaluate, study, and ensure proper legal frameworks for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation in the three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions. This framework satisfies the structural triple-test criteria mandated by the judiciary before implementing backward class quotas in local body elections.
According to the official state notification, the Governor of Uttar Pradesh has approved a five-member panel to lead the commission. Justice Ram Autar Singh, a retired judge of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, has been appointed as the chairman.
The remaining four positions on the panel will be occupied by prominent retired judicial and administrative officers. These include Brijesh Kumar and Santosh Kumar Vishwakarma, both retired additional district judges, as well as Dr Arvind Kumar Chaurasiya and S.P. Singh, both retired Indian Administrative Service officers.
The newly appointed chairman and members will serve a designated tenure of six months from the date they formally assume charge of their respective offices. During this period, the commission is expected to carry out localised empirical inquiries into the nature and implications of backwardness across rural local bodies before compiling its final recommendation reports.
While the executive appointments have been finalised, the state government will issue separate orders at a later date regarding the specific honorarium, financial allowances, and operational facilities allotted to the nominated panel. This strategic move is poised to heavily influence the upcoming rural panchayat elections and ensure equitable alignment of reservations.