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Modi govt’s Bill for 10 pc quota to general category poor may be passed, but is it just a jumla?

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8 years ago

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Modi govt’s Bill for 10 pc quota to general category poor may be passed, but is it just a jumla?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill that seeks to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for the general category poor, brought in a sudden, surprise move – without any consultation or, seemingly, any forethought – by Narendra Modi government at the end of Parliament’s winter session, may face little opposition from other parties, for reasons of political expediency.

That, however, does not mean it is not problematic. The move may be projected as ‘smart’, but that does not mean it is ‘wise’.

The Bill introduced in Lok Sabha yesterday (Tuesday, Jan 8) was passed the same day with 323 members voting in favour and only three against.

The Bill was tabled in Rajya Sabha today and – despite the Congress-led Opposition being in a position to reject it and pressing for referring the legislation to a Select Committee – is likely to be passed ultimately. After all, no political party would like to be seen as being against a step purportedly for social justice.

The opposition, including the Congress, have dubbed the proposed law as a political gimmick that may not stand judicial scrutiny but came around to support it during voting, underlining the huge political import of the measure aimed at placating upper castes.

The bill seeks to amend Article 15 and 16 of the Constitution to enable reservation for the “economically weaker” sections in the general category, which had so far been kept out of the quota ambit. The government says the amendment to the Constitution will ensure that the courts do not strike it down.

Replying to an over four and half hour debate, Social Justice Minister Thaavarchand Gehlot sought to allay doubts raised by several opposition members about the legislation’s fate if challenged in the Supreme Court, saying he can say with confidence that the apex court will accept it.

“Your doubts are unfounded. Put them to rest,” he told opposition members, many of whom dubbed the bill as “jumla” and “gimmick”, questioned its legal standing and accused the government of bringing it in haste with an eye on the Lok Sabha polls.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is fielded by Modi government to tackle tricky and legal questions, came up with the curious argument that the bar of 50 per cent put by the apex court on total reservation is for caste-based quota, while the bill seeks it provide it for the economically weaker sections in the general category.

After the Bill was passed by Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as a “landmark moment in nation’s history which sets into motion the process to achieve an effective measure that ensures justice for all sections of society”.

To put it in perspective, the proposal to give 10 per cent reservation to the economically backward classes, like several other schemes of the Modi government, is neither novel nor innovative. The Congress government under PV Narasimha Rao did provide for similar reservation, but a nine-judge bench in Indra Sawhney (1992) struck it down. There have been similar efforts in states as well — Kerala under the left government (2008) in admissions to a few courses, the Congress government in Rajasthan (2008) and the BJP regime in Gujarat (2016). Even Mayawati has been in favour of such a reservation and welcomed the government’s move.

Also Read: Modi govt approves 10 per cent quota for economically weak in general category

For Modi government, the legislation seeks to signal to the forward castes that their interests are being looked at amid demands by various restive groups like Jats, Marathas, Gujjars and Patels for quota benefits.

The Modi government faced upper caste backlash when, following protests by Dalits, it brought legislation in last monsoon session to nullify Supreme Court order to check apprehensions of misuse of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

The upper caste communities, in turn, voiced their protest over Government’s alacrity in addressing the concerns of Dalit communities of the issue. Senior BJP leaders felt that the BJP faced hostile Upper Castes in the recently concluded assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Read Part 2: Is the Bill for 10 per cent reservation for general category a ‘jumla’?

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Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

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24 hours ago

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August 15, 2026

By

Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

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Assam BJP leader Bikash Dhar found dead, 5 arrested for murder

BJP leader Bikash Dhar, 52, was found dead in an abandoned house in Assam’s Sribhumi district after being reported missing on August 12. Police have arrested five people in connection with the alleged murder.

Published

2 days ago

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August 14, 2026

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A 52-year-old BJP leader who had been missing for two days was found dead in Assam’s Sribhumi district on Friday, with police alleging that he was murdered.

Bikash Dhar, a resident of Chagalmowa village under Bazaricherra police station, was found dead inside an abandoned house in the Yogicherra area near the Tripura border on Friday morning.

Dhar’s family had filed a missing complaint on August 12 after he left home following a phone call.

According to his son Madan Dhar, Bikash left around 1 pm after saying that he had to attend an emergency meeting. When he did not return and his phone was switched off, the family began searching for him and later approached the police.

Five arrested in murder case

Sribhumi Superintendent of Police Leena Doley said an investigation was launched after the missing complaint was received. The probe was conducted under the supervision of the Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime).

Police said five people have been arrested in connection with the alleged murder. They were identified as Abdul Salam, Sifat Ali, Abdul Ahad, Saiful Ali and Badrul Haque.

According to the police, interrogation of Abdul Salam revealed that the accused had an enmity with Dhar. Police alleged that the group killed him and dumped his body near a water body.

Another person, identified as Sunam Miya, was named during the investigation and reportedly fled to Tripura on the night of the incident.

Police find injury and cut marks on body

Police said injury and cut marks were found on Dhar’s body, and a murder case has been registered.

During the recovery of the alleged weapon, police said accused Badrul Haque attempted to escape from custody. A police constable was injured during the incident.

Police said they fired at Haque’s leg to prevent him from escaping, resulting in a bullet wound.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Dhar’s death and the alleged involvement of the accused is underway.

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Karnataka Cabinet clears public property bill amid RSS registration row

Karnataka Cabinet approves a Bill to regulate the use of government premises and public property amid a political row over RSS registration.

Published

2 days ago

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August 14, 2026

By

Priyank Kharge

The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a proposed law to regulate the use of government premises and public property in the state, amid an ongoing political debate over the registration and use of public spaces by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The Karnataka Regulation of Use of Government Premises and Public Property Bill, 2026 was cleared by the Cabinet, Home Minister Priyank Kharge said after the meeting.

According to the government, the proposed legislation aims to establish a legal framework governing the use of government lands, buildings, playgrounds, parks, roads and other public assets by private individuals, organisations, associations and societies.

Kharge said the objective was to prevent unauthorised use and misuse of public property while ensuring that such assets are protected for public benefit.

What the Karnataka public property bill proposes

The proposed legislation is expected to lay down procedures for obtaining permission to use government property for events, meetings and other activities.

It also proposes provisions for penalties in cases involving misuse of government premises or damage to public property, according to officials.

The government is expected to introduce the Bill in the Karnataka legislature, where it will be taken up for discussion and passage.

Priyank Kharge denies Bill targets RSS

The proposed legislation comes against the backdrop of a row involving the RSS and its use of public property in Karnataka.

Kharge, however, rejected speculation that the Bill had been framed specifically against the RSS or any other organisation. He said the government did not have a particular institution, association, organisation, society, club, union, syndicate or NGO in mind.

The issue has been part of a wider political debate since 2025, with Kharge opposing the use of government premises and public property by the RSS and calling for the organisation to register formally.

In June, Kharge also wrote to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking clarity on the organisation’s legal status, financial transparency and constitutional accountability.

The development is likely to keep the debate over the use of public property and the legal status of organisations in Karnataka in focus as the proposed legislation moves to the state legislature.

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