india

Updated: Jan 12, 2019 19:13 IST

President Ram Nath Kovind today gave his assent to the bill providing for 10% reservation in education and government jobs for economically weak from upper castes.

The Constitution (103rd) Amendment Act was cleared by both Houses of Parliament this week even as leaders from Opposition parties questioned the Union government’s “haste” in pushing the bill through just months ahead of the 2019 general election.

The 10 per cent quota covers nearly 190 million people from the general category and is seen as an effort by the BJP-led national coalition to reach out to upper caste groups and once-dominant agrarian communities such as the Patidars, Jats, Gujjars and Marathas who have been lobbying for reservation