<div style="float: left;">
		<img align="left" alt="Quota Bill" class="imgCont" height="464" src="https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/img/article/2019-01/08/full/1546966274-9639.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #DDD; margin-right: 10px; padding: 1px; float: left; z-index: 0;" title="Quota Bill" width="620" />
		<div style="float: left; clear: both; font-style:italic; padding: 10px 10px 10px 0px; width:620px;">
			Lok Sabha passes Constitution (124 Amendment) Bill, 2019 with 323 &#39;ayes&#39;. Photo: @ANI</div>
	</div>

Narendra Modi-led government seeks to push for the passage of a Bill to enable providing a 10% reservation to the economically weaker section in general category. Track Parliament session LIVE updates

parliament

<div>
	
	<div>
		A landmark Bill seeking to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for the general category poor was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, with most parties backing the measure, described by the government as &quot;historic&quot; and in the country&#39;s interest. As many as 323 members voted in support of the Bill and only three voted against it, underlining the cross-party support the politically crucial Bill elicited.</div>
	<br />
	<div>
		Replying to an over four and half hour debate, Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot sought to allay doubts raised by several Opposition members about the legislation&#39;s fate if challenged in the Supreme Court, saying he can say with confidence that the apex court will accept it. The Modi government&#39;s policy and intention is good and that is why it has enabled the reservation for the poor in the general category with constitutional amendment, he said, seeking support of all parties for the passage of The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019.</div>
	<br />
	<div>
		&quot;Your doubts are unfounded. Put them to rest,&quot; he told Opposition members, many of whom dubbed the Bill as &quot;<em>jumla</em>&quot; and &quot;gimmick&quot;, questioned its legal standing and accused the government of bringing it in haste with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls. Gehlot claimed that the Bill is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s assertion when he assumed power in 2014 that his government would be devoted to the cause of the poor and work for &quot;<em>sabka</em><em> </em><em>saath</em><em> </em><em>sabka</em><em> </em><em>vikas</em> (With all, development for all)&quot;.</div>
	<br />
	<div>
		&quot;This is an historic decision and in the interest of the country,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</div>
	<p>
		Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi were present in the House when the Bill was passed. The government will table the Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
</div>
<div>
	<strong>Catch LIVE updates on Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha sessions. &nbsp;</strong></div>

Parliament LIVE Updates: Narendra Modi-led government seeks to push for the passage of a Bill to enable providing a 10% reservation to the economically weaker section in general category. Track Parliament session LIVE updates.

Lok Sabha passes quota Bill for economically weak in general category

Business Standard

Making an intervention in the Lok Sabha during a debate on the constitutional amendment Bill, Jaitley rejected suggestions that the measure may fall foul of a Supreme Court judgement putting a cap of 50 per cent at the total quota.

<div>
	<strong>Every political party supported quota for the poor in general category: Jaitley</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Arun Jaitley made a forceful pitch for the passage of the quota Bill, saying almost every party, including the Congress, had supported the measure in their poll manifesto.&nbsp;</div>

TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay in the Lok Sabha: &quot;Why does the Government not take up the women reservation Bill with the same priority as this quota Bill? This Bill is not only about jobs, but also about misleading the youth with false hopes and fake dreams.&quot;<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	<p dir="ltr" lang="en">
		Sudip Bandyopadhyay, TMC in Lok Sabha: Why does the Government not take up the women reservation bill with the same priority as this quota bill? This bill is not only about jobs, but also about misleading the youth with false hopes and fake dreams <a href="https://t.co/7BKnXtSerH">pic.twitter.com/7BKnXtSerH</a></p>
	&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1082620112992169989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

AIADMK leader M Thambidurai said in the Lok Sabha: &quot;Have government schemes for the poor failed? There are enough schemes. This reservation Bill, which you are bringing, will be struck down by the Supreme Court.&quot;<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	<p dir="ltr" lang="en">
		M Thambidurai, AIADMK in Lok Sabha: Have govt schemes for the poor failed? There are enough schemes. This reservation bill which you are bringing will be struck down by the Supreme Court <a href="https://t.co/zEfmY7EXxW">pic.twitter.com/zEfmY7EXxW</a></p>
	&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1082616770094133248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<strong>Lok Sabha&#39;s last session extended to hold discussion on the quota Bill&nbsp;</strong>

Arun Jaitley in Lok Sabha: &quot;This reservation bill ensures &#39;sabka saath, sabka vikas&#39;. It is a move for equality. It will enable social upliftment.&quot;<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	<p dir="ltr" lang="en">
		FM Arun Jaitley in Lok Sabha: This reservation bill ensures &#39;sabka saath, sabka vikas&#39;. It is a move for equality, will enable social upliftment. <a href="https://t.co/Eb81Yk840K">pic.twitter.com/Eb81Yk840K</a></p>
	&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1082614127154073601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<div>
	<strong>Jaitley targets Congress, Left parties&nbsp;</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Jaitley targeted CPI(M) and Left leaders, saying that India was the first country where communists were not happy when poor people were being empowered.&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Jaitley asked the Congress to support the quota Bill large heartedly and without a grudge.</div>

Regarding the 50 per cent ceiling on quota set by the Supreme Court, Jaitley said that in the past, states tried and failed as they did it through notifications.

Jaitley added that the quota Bill will strengthen the economically backward sections of the upper class.

The bill is to provide economic justice: Jaitley

<div>
	<strong>Won&#39;t disturb existing quota system: Jaitley</strong></div>
<div>
	&nbsp;</div>
<div>
	Jaitley said the 10 per cent quota Bill won&#39;t disturb the already existing quota system.&nbsp;</div>

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the quota Bill, Arun Jaitley argued that just as equals cannot be treated unequally, unequals cannot be treated equally as well.

<strong>Arun Jaitley speaks in the Lok Sabha on quota Bill&nbsp;</strong>

Gehlot said at present, the economically weaker sections have largely remained excluded from attending the higher educational institutions and public employment on account of their financial incapacity to compete with the persons who are economically more privileged.

Gehlot said there is a need to bring economically backward section to the mainstream. The minister said he believes the Bill will clear judicial scrutiny if it is challenged in courts.