National Commission for Women: Section 3's Composition and the Reserved Seats

The National Commission for Women (NCW) is a statutory body, established under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990 (Act No. 20 of 1990), which received Presidential assent on 30 August 1990; the first Commission was actually constituted over a year later, on 31 January 1992.

Composition (Section 3): the reserved seats worth knowing precisely

Section 3 sets a composition that is easy to get half-right by only remembering "a Chairperson and some Members." The Commission consists of: a Chairperson, committed to the cause of women, nominated by the Central Government; five Members, nominated from persons with experience in law or legislation, trade unionism, industry management, women's voluntary organisations, administration, economic development, health, education, or social welfare, with the specific proviso that at least one Member each must come from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes respectively; and a Member-Secretary, who must either be an expert in management, organisational structure, or sociological movements, or a civil servant of the Union or an All-India Service with appropriate experience.

The mandate (Section 10): investigation, review, and suo motu action

Section 10 lists the Commission's functions in detail, and several are worth holding as a specific list rather than a vague "protects women's rights" summary: investigating and examining safeguards for women under the Constitution and other laws; reporting annually to the Central Government with implementation recommendations; reviewing existing laws and recommending amendments to fix gaps or inadequacies; taking up violations of women-related constitutional or legal provisions with the appropriate authorities; and, distinctly, the power to look into complaints and take suo motu notice of deprivation of women's rights, non-implementation of protective laws, or non-compliance with welfare policy, then raising these directly with the relevant authorities. The Commission can also commission special studies into specific problems and undertake promotional and educational research on women's representation.

Quick revision points

• Statutory, under the NCW Act, 1990 (Act No. 20 of 1990), Presidential assent 30 August 1990; first Commission constituted 31 January 1992.
• Composition (Section 3): Chairperson + 5 Members (at least 1 SC and 1 ST Member each, specifically) + a Member-Secretary.
• Section 10 functions include a genuine suo motu power: the Commission can take up a matter on its own initiative, not only on a filed complaint.
• Reports go annually to the Central Government, with recommendations for legislative or policy correction.

The SC/ST reservation requirement within the Commission's own five Members is the specific, precise fact most likely to be tested against a vaguer "diverse membership" description; know it as "at least one each," not "some representation."