Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Reservation Bill to provide 10 per cent quota in jobs and education to general category candidates who belong to economically weaker sections.
Earlier, the House witnessed a heated debate with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley making a strong pitch in favour of the bill and targeting Congress for raising concerns about the bill it had earlier supported.
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Here’s all you need to know about the Reservation Bill
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Union Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot introduced the Reservation Bill in Lok Sabha on Tuesday and after hours of debate, the bill was passed with 323 ‘ayes’ and only 3 ‘nos’.
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Families with an annual income below Rs 8 lakh, those who do not own more than five acres of agricultural land, who do not own a flat more than 1000 sqft area in notified municipality areas, are eligible for the new quota.
- The bill is expected to benefit a huge section of upper castes — including Brahmins, Rajputs (Thakurs), Jats, Marathas, etc. The economically deprived among the other religions will also benefit.
- “Reservation was always envisioned for socially or educationally backward, on the basis of caste. Therefore Supreme Court’s judgment applies only to reservation of backward classes,” Mr Jaitley said.
- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati welcomed the reservation move but with a rider. She said that the decision was an “election stunt and political gimmick” ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, but her party welcomes the “immature” move by the government.
Currently, 49.5% reservation in India is offered on grounds of castes to SC, STs and other backward classes (OBC)
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