Centre to introduce Bill to extend reservation for SC/ST in Lok Sabha

The Centre is all set to renew the reservation provided to the marginalised communities like Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Parliament and state legislatures.Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will introduce the Constitution (126th Amendment Bill) 2019, in the Lok Sabha on Monday, that provides to further amend Article 334 of the Constitution which proposes to extend the reservation to these marginalised sections for another ten years. Interestingly, the proposed amendment does away with the reservation provided to the Anglo Indian community in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures.

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About the Bill

"Although SCs and STs have made considerable progress in the last 70 years, the reasons which weighed with the constituent assembly in making provisions with regard to the aforesaid reservation of seats have not yet ceased to exist. Therefore, with a view to retaining the inclusive character as envisioned by the founding fathers of the Constitution, it is proposed to continue the reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes for another 10 years, that is up to 25 January 2030," the proposed Bill states.

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The move was set in motion after a meeting of the BJP's top brass, attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister and party chief Amit Shah, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Leader of House in Rajya Sabha and Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot, in Parliament on December 3.

The need for bringing in the Bill was felt as the current reservation provision ends on January 26, 2020, and the government wants to get the approval of Parliament ahead of the deadline. According to sources, the amendment of the bill is expected to send across a message that the Narendra Modi government is with the marginalised sections of the society.

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(with ANI inputs)