Reservation Bill for poor among upper castes clears Lok Sabha test

The Bill proposes a 10% reservation over and above the 49.5% currently in force for Scheduled Castes (15%), Scheduled Tribes (7.5%), and Other Backward Classes, or OBCs (27%)

Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a Bill that provides 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and education for the economically backward in the general category of castes.

The Bill proposes a 10 per cent reservation over and above the 49.5 per cent currently in force for Scheduled Castes (15 per cent), Scheduled Tribes (7.5 per cent), and Other Backward Classes, or OBCs (27 per cent).

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, speaking in the House earlier, rejected suggestions that the Bill goes against a Supreme Court judgement limiting reservation.

Social Justice Minister Thaavarchand Gehlot said he was confident that the Supreme