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National News
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| 24th Constitution Amendment bill goes for Presidential Assent | | | | New Delhi Jan 10(Agencies)
Rajya Sabha yesterday passed the Constitution 124th Amendment Bill 2019 providing 10 percent reservation in jobs and educational institutions to general category people with a thumping majority. 165 members voted in favor and only 7 voted against it. The motion was moved by AIADMK, left parties and others to refer the bill to the Select Committee was negated. Lok Sabha had already passed it. The bill now goes to the President for his assent to become a law.
Replying to a 10 hour long debate in the upper house Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawarchand Gehlot said it is a historic steps towards providing 10 percent reservation to the economically weaker sections among general category people. He said, the bill had been brought with good intention and it aimed at economic and educational empowerment of the targeted beneficiaries.
Mr. Gehlot rejected the allegation that the bill had been brought in a hurry, saying it was a long pending demand and the government wanted to deliver justice. He said the Law will not be struck down by the Supreme Court, if challenged. The Minister said this is because the bill had been brought by making required provisions in the Constitution.
Eariler, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien raised doubts over the bill passing legal scrutiny. AIADMK member Navneet Krishnan also opposed the bill saying it is legally untenable. Congress and NCP said supported the bill, but questioned its timing.
LJP, BJD and JD (U) also supported the bill. BSP supported the bill but demanded reservation for minorities. Samajwadi Party supported the bill but demanded that OBC's should now be given 54 percent reservation and SCs and STs quota be increased to 25 percent.
Making an intervention in the discussion, Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad assured that there will not be any changes to the existing reservation which will be given without tampering with the existing quotas for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. He said the states will have freedom to decide on income criterion of beneficiaries under the bill. | | | | |
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