Rajya Sabha Proceedings Extended By A Day For Proposed Quota Law

The government on Monday extended the Rajya Sabha proceedings during the Winter Session of Parliament by a day till Jan. 9 to enable the House to take up a proposed legislation to provide 10 percent job and education quota for "economically weaker" sections, according to people in the know.

Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu agreed to the government's request and extended the proceedings by a day, the people said.

The Winter Session started on Dec. 11 and was to end on Jan. 8. The decision came after the government approved a 10 percent job and education quota for "economically weaker" sections, meeting a key demand of upper castes.

The government now seeks to bring a constitutional amendment bill in this regard in Lok Sabha on Tuesday and in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, for which the session has been extended, the people said.

With the Congress and some other parties already extending their support to a legislation to provide jobs for the economically weaker sections, the bill is likely to see through in the lower house and will be taken up the next day in Rajya Sabha.

In a major move ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Union cabinet Monday cleared a 10 percent job and education quota for "economically weaker" sections, meeting a key demand of upper castes, a staunch BJP support base which has shown signs of a drift from the party.

The proposed reservation will be over and above the existing 50 percent reservation enjoyed by the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes, taking the total reservation to 60 percent.

The constitutional amendment bill would be required as the constitution does not provide for reservation on the ground of economic conditions. It envisages amendment to Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution.