10% Quota Bill Passed In The Lok Sabha

The constitutional amendment bill to provide a new 10 percent quota to the economically backward including upper castes in government jobs and education was passed in the Lok Sabha a day after the Cabinet passed it. It is now all set to seek approval in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The quota bill was moved by the government on Tuesday despite opposition calls for higher scrutiny of the proposed law. Late in the evening on the same day, it was cleared by the lower house of the Parliament with 323 votes in favour out of the 326 members that were present there.

The focus now shifts to the Rajya Sabha where the opposition parties form a majority and the bill cannot be passed without their support for the government. In the Lok Sabha, the NDA has a comfortable majority. The quota bill is titled " Constitution (one hundred and twenty-fourth amendment) Bill, 2019."

PM Modi tweeted soon after the passing of the bill in the upper house saying, "It is our endeavour to ensure that every poor person, irrespective of caste or creed, gets to lead a life of dignity, and gets access to all possible opportunities." He further said, "The passage of The Constitution (One Hundred And Twenty-Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha is a landmark moment in our nation's history."

The passage of The Constitution (One Hundred And Twenty-Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha is a landmark moment in our nation’s history.

It sets into motion the process to achieve an effective measure that ensures justice for all sections of society.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 8 January 2019