Rajya Sabha too passes OBC Bill

The Rajya Sabha too passed a key Constitutional amendment bill that proposes to restore the power of states and Union Territories to make their own OBC lists for the purpose of reservation in jobs and educational institutes. Moving the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar said it will help restore the powers of states to have their own lists of OBCs which was negated by the Supreme Court. On Tuesday, Lok Sabha unanimously passed OBC bill. 

He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various parties and their members for evolving a consensus to take up the important bill that "seeks to create history" by providing reservation to other backward classes in the country. According to the minister, once the bill becomes an act, it will help 671 communities i.e. almost one-fifth of the total OBCs in the country. He added that this Constitutional amendment is "necessary" to restore the powers of states to have their own lists of OBCs for providing reservation. "This reservation was removed by the Supreme Court while ascertaining the reservation criteria and for clarifying it, this Constitution amendment bill has been brought now," he said, adding that it will also help "restore the federal structure".