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Rajya Sabha passes Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019
Rajya Sabha passes Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019 with 165 'ayes'. The bill will provide reservation for economically weaker section of the society in higher educational institutions.
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha passes Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019 with 165 'ayes'. The bill will provide reservation for economically weaker section of the society in higher educational institutions.
The Government needs 163 votes for the passage of the Bill in Rajya Sabha.
The Rajya Sabha did not take up the Citizenship Amendment Bill on Wednesday on the last day of the winter session and the government is expected to press for its passage in the brief budget session of parliament.
On Tuesday night, the lower house Lok Sabha cleared the "historic" Constitution (124th amendment) Bill 2019, providing 10 percent reservation in jobs and educational institutions to the economically weaker sections of all the forward castes.
This Bill was introduced by Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Thawar Chand Gehlot on the last day of the winter session of Lok Sabha.
ALSO READ: Lok Sabha passes Constitution (124 Amendment) Bill, 2019
In spite of criticizing the Bill over the timing and calling it an "election gimmick", opposition backed it in the lower house, and the Bill was passed with 323 votes in favor and just three against.
People who spoke against the Bill in Lok Sabha were AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi and IUML’s E T Mohammed Basheer and IUML MP, P K Kunhalikutty, while all the other members present in the house extended their support.
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After six-hours-long discussion on the bill, where, some members pointed out that there is no provision in the Constitution for quotas based on economic criteria and that the SC has put a ceiling of 50 percent on reservations, the BJP government dismissed the criticism that the 10 percent quota based on economic criteria would not pass SC muster because of the 50 percent cap on reservations set by the apex court.
On criticism about income and other limits for availing this proposed quota, Gehlot said it is the same as has been applied in the case of Other Backward Class (OBCs).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi were present in the House during the passage of the Bill.
