reservation

Lok Sabha clears quota bill to provide reservation for ‘economically weaker’ general category Lok Sabha today passed the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019 to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and educational institutions to economically backward section in the general category. The bill was passed with 323 votes in favour and 03 against the bill.

reservation

reservation

reservation

reservation

Lok Sabha today passed the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019 to provide 10 per centin jobs and educational institutions to economically backward section in the general category. After an over four and half hours of debate, 323 Lok Sabha members voted in support of the bill while only three voted against it.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi were present in the House when the bill was passed. The bill will now be tabled on Wednesday in Rajya Sabha where proceedings have already been extended by a day. If passed, it has to be ratified by at least half the state Assemblies. However, government said that being an amendment in Fundamental Rights, the amendment may not require state Assemblies nod.BJP believes that if opposition parties, whose support is a must for its passage in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks numbers, vote against it, then they will risk losing support of an influential section of society.Sources in opposition parties said they have held parleys over their strategy for the Upper House. The Congress and the BJP have both issued a whip asking all their members to be present on Wednesday.The amendment bill was approved by the Union Cabinet yesterday and was brought in on the last day of the Winter Session of Lok Sabha.The major castes to benefit from the proposed law are Brahmins, Rajputs (Thakurs), Jats, Marathas, Bhumihars, several trading castes, Kapus and Kammas among other upper castes.The Bill amends Article 15 of the Constitution, by adding a clause which allows states to make "special provision for the advancement of any economically weaker sections of citizens".These "special provisions" would relate to "their admission to educational institutions, including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the state, other than the minority educational institutions".It also makes it clear thatwould be "in addition to the existing reservations and subject to a maximum of ten per cent of the total seats in each category".Replying during the debate, Social Justice Minister Thaavarchand Gehlot sought to allay doubts raised by several opposition members about the legislation's fate if challenged in the Supreme Court, saying he can say with confidence that the apex court will accept it.Opposition raised doubts about government's intention to introduce the bill in haste, but the government expressed confident that the bill will stand the judicial scrutiny."The Modi government's policy and intention is good and that is why it has enabled the reservation for the poor in the general category with constitutional amendment," Gehlot said, seeking support of all parties for the passage of The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019."Your doubts are unfounded. Put them to rest," he told opposition members, many of whom dubbed the bill as "jumla" and "gimmick", questioned its legal standing and accused the government of bringing it in haste with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls.Defending government decision, Gehlot said the Supreme Court had earlier rejected government order extendingbenefits to the economically weaker sections of the upper castes issued by the Narasimha Rao government in 1992 because it was not provided under the Constitution.He said that Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution will be amended so that thebenefit in Central government jobs can be extended to the upper castes belonging to the unreserved categoryFinance Minister Arun Jaitley also rejected criticism that the 10 per centfor the poor among the upper castes in jobs and education will breach the 50 per cent cap set by the Supreme Court, saying that the limit was specific to quota for the SCs/STs and socially and educationally backward classes.(Inputs from PTI)