State Commissioners — Amendments

Amendment	Year	Description	Impact
Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2006	2006	Amended the PHRA, 1993, to bring about changes in the composition, tenure, and powers of the NHRC and SHRCs. Notably, it allowed a former Chief Justice of a High Court to be the Chairperson of an SHRC, expanding the pool of eligible candidates.	Strengthened the SHRCs by broadening eligibility for the Chairperson's post and clarifying certain procedural aspects, aiming to enhance their effectiveness and independence.
Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2019	2019	Further amended the PHRA, 1993. Key changes included reducing the tenure of the Chairperson and members of NHRC and SHRCs from five to three years and making them eligible for re-appointment. It also expanded the eligibility criteria for the Chairperson of SHRC to include a person who has been a Judge of a High Court, in addition to a Chief Justice.	Aimed to make the commissions more dynamic by allowing for re-appointment and broadening the selection pool, though some critics raised concerns about potential implications for independence due to shorter tenure and re-appointment possibility.
Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2019	2019	Amended the RTI Act, 2005, to empower the Central Government to prescribe the term of office and salaries, allowances, and other terms and conditions of service of the Central Information Commissioners and State Information Commissioners.	This amendment significantly altered the autonomy of SICs (and CIC) by shifting the power to determine their terms of service from the original Act (which linked it to Election Commissioners/Chief Secretary) to the Central Government. Critics argued this undermined the independence of the Information Commissions.
102nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2018	2018	Granted constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) by inserting Article 338B into the Constitution. This made NCBC a constitutional body, similar to NCSC and NCST.	While directly impacting the NCBC, this amendment has indirect implications for State Commissions for Backward Classes. It elevates the status of OBC issues and the national body, potentially influencing state governments to strengthen their own statutory OBC commissions and align their policies with the constitutional mandate for OBC welfare.