Both CPI and CPI(M) staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha Tuesday on introduction of the Central Educational Institutions (reservation in teachers' cadre) bill, saying they were not given enough time for submitting amendments.
The bill, passed in the Lok Sabha yesterday, seeks to replace an Ordinance passed to provide reservation to scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST) and economically weaker section for teachers post' in central educational institutions.
The Left party members protested, saying they were not given enough time to move amendments to the bill, to which the Chair said Congress member T Subbarami Reddy has already submitted an amendment and they too could have done so.
CPI(M) member Elamaram Kareer raised a point of order under the Rule 91 and said the government should give a copy of the bill a day before to a member who is willing to move an amendment.
"Here the bill comes in the afternoon, we are getting the supplementary list of business in the afternoon. I have not received the bill prior, so that to give the amendment. So it is not in order to present the bill in the House," he said.
To this, Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh said, "Under such cases, this clause is relaxed. So he (the HRD Minister) can move (the bill). The Chair has power to do it and the Chairhas taken it."
The Left party members were standing in aisle of the House asking the Chair under what circumstances the rules are relaxed. They said the Chair should uphold the rules.
The Deputy Chairman said: "The copies of the bill were given to members in the morning. If members wished, they could have given amendments in the afternoon. ....Subbarami Reddy (Cong) has given an amendment."
Leader of the House Thawarchand Gehlot said an amendment bill is required to be given a day before and the current one is not and therefore there is no point of order.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said, "Subbarami Reddy has already given an amendment. They should take tuition from him."
When the Chair did not heel to their demands, the Left party members staged a walk out.
Later, Human Resources Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank moved the bill for the passage in the Upper House and the discussion began.
Before the bill was moved, Kareem spoke on a statutory resolution to disapprove the ordinance brought by the previous government to provide reservation to SC, ST and weaker sections in teachers' post in the central education institutions.
Kareem said he was not opposing the spirit of the Ordinance but the way the government promulgated the ordinance on March 7, 2019 just before the annoucement of the general elections.
Initiating the debate on the bill, P L Puniya (Cong) sought to know from the government which roaster will be implemented as the previous HRD Minister had assured doing away with the department-wise assessment for reservation.
He also alleged that the government brought the ordinance a week before the general elections for political purpose and not with an aim to empower the weaker section.
Puniya also asked the government to fill up the backlog of vacant SC-ST posts of teachers cadres. He also asked if reservation would apply for temporary posts and also on non- teaching staff.
Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), while participating in the debate, said various educational institutions have devised means to reduce reservations meant for OBC, SC and STs.
He asked the government to fill over 7,000 vacancies across various institutions.
Yadav asked the HRD minister to seek higher fund allocation towards education in the upcoming Budget.
"Our education budget is very low as cpmpared to other countries. It should be increased and vacancies should be filled," Yadav said.
AIDMK's A Navaneethakrishnan, while supporting the bill, said reservation should be extended to all kinds of institutions.
Abir Ranjan Biswas (AITC) said the bill should be sent to a standing committe for further deliberations.
Prasanna Acharya (BJD), Ram Chandra Prasad Singh (JDU), KK Ragesh (CPI-M) and Manoj Kumar Jha also participated in the debate.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu extended the debate on the bill for Wednesday before adjourning the House.
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