Bill to be introduced in Parl in current session
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: The Union Cabinet today cleared a bill to provide 10 percent reservations to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in Government jobs and educational institutions in Jammu and Kashmir. The bill would now require approval of the Parliament before becoming an Act.
The Cabinet which met today under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi approved the bill, which has already been cleared by the State Administrative Council (SAC) of Jammu and Kashmir Government.
While reservations for Economically Weaker Sections which were approved by the Modi 1.0 Government have already been implemented in most parts of the country, they were delayed in Jammu and Kashmir because of the imposition of President’s Rule in the State as the bill had to be cleared by the Union Cabinet followed by approval of both Houses of Parliament to become a law.
As the Parliament was in session till August 7, the bill was likely to be introduced in Lok Sabha within next couple of days followed by the Rajya Sabha for approval. As the reservations for Economically Weaker Sections have been approved in most parts of the country, the bill was likely to be approved by the Parliament and will become a law after assent of President Ram Nath Kovind.
An official statement said the approval by the Cabinet “would pave the way of extending the benefit of reservation of up to 10 per cent for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in educational institutions and public employment alongside existing reservations”.
The bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament soon as the proposed legislation could not be brought before the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly which has been dissolved.
The State is currently under the President’s rule.
The bill would pave the way for reserving State Government jobs to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir who are from economically weaker sections belonging to any religion or caste, the official statement said.
The 10 per cent reservation to Economically Weaker Sections was introduced in the country through the 103rd Constitution Amendment in January. This will be in addition to such reservation available in the Central Government jobs, it added.
Addressing a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar said the reservations for Economically Weaker Sections was beginning of giving social justice to the people.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir will get 10 percent reservations in Government jobs and educational institutions,” he said, adding the nod given to bill by the Union Cabinet has lot of significance.
Javadekar said since Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has been dissolved and there was President’s rule in the State, the bill was required to be approved by the Government of India.
He recalled that recently the Central Government had taken another important decision for Jammu and Kashmir by extending reservations in Government jobs and educational institutions to the people living along the International Border.
“The reservations were being given to the people living on the Line of Control (LoC) but the people of International Border had been deprived the same,” he said.
He added that economically based reservations would be extended to all the people having annual income up to Rs 8 lakh.
Besides the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and the people of International Border, now the economically weaker sections will also get reservations in the Government jobs and educational institutions in the State, Javadekar said.
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