An anti-reservation organisation on Thursday moved the Supreme Court against the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Fourth Amendment) Bill, 2019, passed by Parliament, ANI reported.
The bill provides 10% reservations in aided and unaided institutions to the economically backward from upper castes. It was passed 323-3 in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and the following day in the Rajya Sabha. The Upper House voted against sending the draft law to a select committee. The bill is now subject to President Ram Nath Kovind’s approval.
Youth for Equality in a petition said the amendment bill violates the basic features of the Constitution and economic criterion cannot be the sole basis for reservation, PTI reported.
Youth for Equality in a statement questioned the timing of the move and said the reservation would “open a Pandora’s box” as “more and more political parties/caste groups will claim for increased percentage of reservations, both at the central and state level”.
The organisation said that reservation in itself should not be the goal. “Other forms of affirmative actions, like good schooling, scholarships, financial grants, hostels, etc., should be increased and reservation should be gradually tapered off,” it said. “With this bill, the government/Parliament must announce a time-bound plan to phase out the reservations.”
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