Welcoming the Supreme Court verdict to uphold the 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS), the Congress on Monday said that the process was initiated by the Manmohan Singh government.
The principal Opposition party also said the Narendra Modi government was yet to clarify its position on an updated caste census.
In a statement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed that the Bill to provide quota to the EWS was ready as far back as 2014 but the Modi government took five years to implement it.
“The Indian National Congress welcomes today’s Supreme Court judgment upholding the 103rd Constitutional Amendment that provides for 10% reservation quota for Economically Weaker Sections belonging to castes other than Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBCs. The amendment itself was the result of a process initiated by Dr. Manmohan Singh’s government in 2005-06 with the appointment of the Sinho Commission that submitted its report in July 2010,” Mr. Ramesh said in a statement.
“Thereafter, widespread consultations were held and the Bill was ready by 2014. It took the Modi sarkar five years to get the Bill enacted,” he added.
“It also bears mention here that the Socio Economic and Caste Census was completed by 2012, when I myself was the Union Rural Development Minister. The Modi sarkar has yet to clarify its position on an updated caste census, something that the Congress party supports and demands,” Mr. Ramesh noted.
In a landmark order, the Supreme Court by a majority view of 3:2 upheld the validity of the 103rd Constitution amendment providing 10% reservation to people belonging to economically weaker sections (EWS) in admissions and government jobs.
