Lok Sabha passes 10 per cent quota Bill for economically weaker in Upper caste

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a Bill to provide 10 per cent quota for economically weaker sections in government jobs and educational institutions, including private aided or unaided institutes. While the government claimed the legislation was “historic” and should be unanimously passed, most Opposition parties though in-principle supporting it, termed the legislation as a “political gimmick” ahead of general elections later this year.   

The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019 seeks to amend the Constitution by introducing provisions for reservation for economically weaker sections.

The Bill was passed by voting with division as it was a Constitutional Amendment Bill. A total of 319 members voted in favour of the Bill and only four against it out of the 323 present.

The EWS quota Bill which had been cleared by the Union Cabinet on Monday, had not been listed in the List of Business of the House and was circulated suddenly around 12 noon and added as a supplementary business. Social justice minister Thawarchand Gehlot introduced it even as the Lower House was debating another piece of legislation.

The Bill, however, was unlikely to see a smooth passage in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday with the government lacking the numbers in the Upper House. A constitution amendment Bill needs to muster two-thirds majority of members present in each House of Parliament.

Kicking off the debate from Opposition benches, senior Congress leader K. V. Thomas said that the Bill was being introduced and passed in great haste. “This is an important legislation. I think the government is very hasty and any hasty decision will land us in a mess.”

Finance minister Arun Jaitely rejected suggestions that the measure may fall foul of a Supreme Court judgement putting a cap of 50 per cent at the total quota. The bar, he added, is for caste-based reservations, while the bill seeks quota for the economically weaker sections.