Parliament approves 10% reservation for general category poor: Highlights

Rajya Sabha passes the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019, with 165 'ayes'

10:58 PM

The quota Bill was approved after the House rejected five amendments moved by Opposition members.

10:55 PM

The quota Bill will now go to the President for approval. 

10:41 PM

10:38 PM

10:36 PM

10:33 PM

Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die 

10:29 PM

10:24 PM

10:23 PM

Quota Bill for general category poor passed in Rajya Sabha 

10:17 PM

10:03 PM

Voting on Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019, to begin shortly 

9:54 PM

9:49 PM

What some leaders of other parties said during the discussion on the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019, in the Rajya Sabha:

 

1) While supporting the quota Bill, TDP's C M Ramesh said the legislation has been brought in the last days of the government and several ministers, too, did not know it was coming.

 

2) Naresh Gujral of NDA constituent SAD suggested the government needed to take more pragmatic steps to boost job opportunities.

 

3) In his intervention, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan expressed hope the law for reservation above 50 per cent will stand legal scrutiny.

 

4) NCP member Praful Patel said the government should have gone in greater detail before bringing the quota Bill. He said if the concerns and issued raised here are not addressed, providing quota to upper caste poor will remain a "still born baby" and "non starter". 

9:36 PM

Ravi Shankar Prasad defends quota Bill, attacks Congress

 

Here's everything Prasad said during the discussion on the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019, in the Rajya Sabha:

 

1) On the timing of the quota Bill, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "We have come late. Better late than never. Parliament is scripting history. If you are supporting, support wholeheartedly. Why ifs and buts." 

 

2) Ravi Shankar Prasad also attacked the Congress party for failing to implement the Major General S R Sinho Committee's report that suggested reservation for economically weaker section (EWS).

 

3) "The report of Sinho Committee was submitted on July 22, 2010. Who had stopped you from implementing at that time?... you did not bring it (Bill) at that time.. We bought it late. We showed courage for the development of the country," Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

 

4) Ravi Shankar Prasad also said that it is a reality that there are poor in the forward caste and some are even working as rickshaw pullers.

 

5) Taking an analogy of cricket, Prasad said, "In cricket, slog overs have sixers. This is the first sixer. There will be more sixers. Who will lose (general election), the public will decide. We will have huge majority under the leadership of Modi." 

9:28 PM

Upper caste quota to hit constitutional roadblocks: Sibal

 

Here's everything the Congress leader said during the discussion on the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019, in the Rajya Sabha:

  

1) Kapil Sibal said the government's decision to give 10 per cent quota to economically weaker sections in the general category has been taken with "non-application of mind" and it would face constitutional hurdles.

 

2) If the Bill is passed, the implementation of the reservation due to complexities involved and absence of required data with the government would be "like demonetisation", Sibal said.

 

3) Calling it a "jumala" (gimmick), Sibal said: "Kamal ka hamla, aur ek jumala (attack of lotus, one more gimmick)."

 

4) Sibal questioned "the hurry" shown by the BJP-led government.

 

5) "What was the hurry? The Bill could have been sent to the Select Committee. There would have been discussions and suggestions before it was introduced (in Parliament)," Sibal said.

 

6) Sibal asked if the government has collected required data about demographic structure before bringing the Bill.

 

7) "Mandal Commission's report had come in 1980 and introduced in 1982 for the first time. And it was passed in 1990, almost 10 years later," Sibal said.

 

8) "Here, you want to do everything in one day. Do you find it fine? You are doing it without any data. The government must let us know if there is any report prepared before fixing the parameters for the quota," Sibal said. 

 

9) Sibal said the Bill may face hurdle as the Supreme Court had "struck down" 10 per cent reservation for "economically weaker category" suggested by the Mandal Commission terming it unconstitutional.

 

10) If the percentage of reservation crosses 50 per cent, it is violative of Article 14 and that is why, the decision of approving 69 per cent reservation by Tamil Nadu is still in the Supreme Court, Sibal said.

 

11) "It is a very complex constitutional issue... and you brought the Bill without applying mind or sending it to the Select Committee," Sibal said.

 

12) The Supreme Court lawyer questioned the government about its intention to approve the quota when jobs in the country are on the decline. "Jobs are created. But more jobs are lost than what is created. Be it public sector, private sector or IT sector," said Sibal, adding that year-on-year growth in the central government jobs since 2001 was just 0.4 per cent.