New Delhi, December 21
Despite initial opposition from the BJP, RJD and the Left parties, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill providing for reservation to SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes in non-minority unaided private educational institutions was virtually passed unanimously in the Lok Sabha this evening.
The Bill went through with 379 votes in favour and only one voting against and the BJP-sponsored amendment was defeated.
The BJP which had earlier announced that it would oppose the Bill did not do so in the House when it was put to vote as it impinged on the critical reservation issue for the under privileged.
BJP MP Vijay Kumar Malhotra, who moved the amending motion, demanded that the Bill should be applicable to all institutions including those run by the minorities. He insisted that the purpose of the Constitution Amendment will be defeated if the minority institutions were kept out of its purview.
Winding up the extended debate, Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh maintained the government had come forward with the legislative measure with the specific intent of providing greater access to higher education including professional education to a large number of students belonging to socially and educationally backward classes of citizens as well as the SCs and STs.
Categorising the Bill as a “non-partisan” measure, Mr Singh appealed to the Opposition not to politicise the measure and give it whole-hearted support.
The
Minister assured the House that the reservation facilities available to the OBCs as per the Mandal Commission recommendations were being extended to private educational institutions and would stand in spite of the Bill.
Mr Singh said the question of reservation in central institutions not covered so far would be addressed “frontally and holistically.”
Earlier while taking part in the debate the BJP described the Bill as lopsided and against social justice. Opposing the Bill BJP’s Ananth Kumar said the Bill would create a situation whereby there would be conflict between social justice and the interest of
minorities. “This is a classic case of reverse discrimination. The new law will open the floodgates for commercialisation of education as people will set up minority institutions and charge exhorbitant fees.”Mr Chinta Mohan (Congress) said the Bill was a feather in the cap of the UPA government. He insisted that the Amendment was
necessary as private colleges were cheating students by charging exhorbitant fees. He demanded reservation in the judiciary and the private sector.
CPI-M’s Suresh Kurup said just because unaided educational institutions were not dependent on government aid they cannot ignore the national goal of providing social justice. He sought a comprehensive legislation to go into the fee structure of unaided institutions.
Supporting the bill, SP’s Mohan Singh said it would give a feeling of confidence and sense of security to the sections of people who had got disheartened when the Supreme Court struck down reservation in educational institutions. Mr Devendra Prasad Yadav (RJD) wanted OBCs also to be included in the reserved categories in private educational institutions along with the SCs and STs for the sake of social justice.
The DMK supported the bill but wanted the OBCs to be included in the beneficiaries of the Bill.
