Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the passage of the Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021 in both Houses of Parliament is a landmark moment for the nation.
"Passage of the Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021 in both Houses is a landmark moment for our nation. This Bill furthers social empowerment. It also reflects our Government's commitment to ensuring dignity, opportunity and justice to the marginalised sections," tweeted Prime Minister Modi.
The Parliament on Tuesday unanimously passed the bill to restore the power of states and union territories to prepare and maintain their own list of socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs).
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed in Rajya Sabha amid demand from opposition parties for caste census and raising the cap on reservation above 50 per cent.
The bill was unanimously passed by Lok Sabha on Tuesday following a division.
Participating in the debate on the bill, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said it should have a provision that states can give reservation above the cap of 50 per cent.He said the backlog of vacancies for Other Backward Classes should be filled.The bill was passed by the House following a division.
As in the Lok Sabha, the opposition parties decided to "cooperate" with the government in passing the bill and suspended their protest in the House over their demand for a probe into allegations of surveillance through Pegasus spyware and repeal of farm laws.
The opposition parties have been protesting and forcing adjournments since the beginning of the monsoon session over their demands.
Replying to the debate on the bill, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar said there was unanimous support for the bill and it was historic.
( With inputs from ANI )
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