Parliament approves SC/ST reservation Bill
Posted by samathain on August 30, 2009
Source: The Hindu
J. Balaji
Bill seeks to extend the reservation beyond January 25, 2010
Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on Monday
NEW DELHI: Parliament has adopted the Constitution (109th amendment) Bill, 2009, for providing reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies for another 10 years, with the Lok Sabha approving it by division of votes on Tuesday.
The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on Monday. The Bill was adopted with an amendment by the government.
When the Bill was taken up for consideration in the Lok Sabha and put to vote later, 375 members voted in its favour. One member opposed it and another abstained from voting.
The Bill seeks to extend the reservation beyond January 25, 2010, when the time period of 60 years under Article 334 of the Constitution lapses, and also to extend the nomination of Anglo-Indians to the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies by another 10 years.
Law and Justice Minister M. Veerappa Moily, who moved the Bill, said of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, SCs had 79 and STs 41.
“Change of heart”
Similarly, of the 3,961 seats in the Legislative Assemblies, SCs had been reserved 543 seats and STs 527.
Urging the House to adopt the Bill, Mr. Moily said there should be a “change of heart” in society towards SCs and STs.
“We need to travel more distance to ensure they join the mainstream. We must practice inclusive politics and not exclusive politics…fragmented politics,” he said.
Dr Known said
India is representative DEMOCRACY and not MERITOCRACY.
If merit is criteria India should not get Independence from British.
Hence Govt must promote cultural and socio-economically DIVERSE communities in Private and Public Institutions viz Temples,Judiciary and Defense Services in 50:35:15 (BC:SC/ST:OC) ratio in India.
Somebody in India should move a Bill in Parliament accordingly.