On the last day of the Winter Session, the Lok Sabha, on Tuesday, approved two significant legislation - the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019, and the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
The Amendment Bill will provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and higher education to economically backward sections not covered under caste reservation benefits (general category). Significantly, the constitutional amendment has a clause to ensure quota for economically backward sections in private institutions, whether aided or unaided by the state. The amendment, however, will not cover minority educational institutions which are protected under Article 30 of the Constitution. The legislation will also not be applicable in promotions and will provide only initial appointments in government services.
The Bill will be moved in the Rajya Sabha today — as the Winter Session has been extended by a day in the Upper House. A constitutional amendment bill requires at least half of the members to be present in the House and two-thirds of them should support it.
According to the Bill, the 10 per cent quota will be in addition to the existing cap of 50 per cent reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs, taking total reservation quota to 60 per cent. The Bill stipulates that beneficiaries will only include those families which have an annual income of below Rs 8 lakh, across all religions, and those with farmland below 5 acres, houses less than 1,000 square feet, and less than a 100-yard plot in a notified municipal area, or plots below 200 yards in a non-notified municipal area.
Earlier, amidst fierce opposition, the House approved the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The issue has already left parts of the northeast, including Assam, simmering, with the Asom Gana Parishad breaking off its alliance with the BJP and walking out of the Sarbananda Sonowal government. Introducing the Bill, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said it will pave the way for Indian citizenship to the "persecuted religious minorities" -- the Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis -- from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. "They have no place to go to, except India," he said, adding that several leaders, including first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, were in favour of giving shelter to persecuted minorities in the neighouring countries.
Seeking to assuage the concerns in the Northeast, which saw an 11-hour bandh on Tuesday against the legislation, Singh said the proposed law will not be confined to Assam alone.
The BJP appears to have been isolated over the issue. While the AGP broke off the alliance, allies Shiv Sena and JD(U) opposed the legislation. Mizoram and Meghalaya governments have also opposed the bill by adopting a resolution against it in their respective cabinet meetings. The Home Minister said the Union Cabinet has also approved the grant of ST status to six communities of Assam, namely Tai Ahom, Koch Rajbongshi, Chutia, Tea Tribes, Moran, and Matak.
The Beneficiaries
- The amendment bill will provide 10% quota in educational institutions to EWS in general category
- Another bill will provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan
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 "Citizenship Bill protest")
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