Conscription law
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The Rajya Sabha on Monday unanimously passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-third Amendment) Bill to establish a National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).
The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha last week. On 10 April 2017, the Bill was first passed by Lok Sabha and transmitted to Rajya Sabha, which passed the Bill but with amendments on 31 July 2017 and returned it to Lok Sabha for consideration.
The government instead of passing the amended bill from Rajya Sabha, presented alternative amendments to pass it in the Lok Sabha last Thursday.
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Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot moved the alternate amendments and further amendments made by Lok Sabha in the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-third Amendment) Bill, 2017, on Monday and it was adopted by the Rajya Sabha along with the amendments made in the Lok Sabha by 156 votes to nil.
While almost all members supported the Bill, several Opposition members urged government to make public the findings of caste census and implement the reservation accordingly.
Replying to a four-hour debate in which 22 members participated, Gehlot assured the House that government was dedicated to the poor and backward class of the society. The Bill would help backward classes fight atrocities against them and ensure quick justice to them, he added.
The minister also assured the House that when the government frames the rules, it would ensure one woman member and one most backward member will be part of the panel.
Allaying fears of a few members that the Bill might infringe on the rights of states, Gehlot said the states would maintain separate list on OBCs. And if a state wants to add a caste name to the Central list, it could be added after bringing a Bill, the minister said.
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