Bill for 8% hike in Muslim quota

Special Assembly session to be held today

The Telangana state cabinet on Saturday approved the draft Bill of the Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes [Reservation of seats in Educational Institutions and appointments or posts in the Services under the State] Act, 2017, increasing reservations for Muslims (under Backward Classes E-category) and for Scheduled Tribes, in education and employment.

A special session of the Legislative Assembly has been convened at 11 am on Sunday to pass the quota Bill.

Reservation for Muslims has been increased by eight per cent, from the existing four per cent to 12 per cent, while the Scheduled Tribes quota has been increased by four per cent, from the existing six per cent to 10 per cent.

The BC Commission, which has the power to make recommendations on quotas, has recommended only six per cent increase in reservation for Muslims, which has been clearly specified in the draft Bill.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said that the Muslim quota was being increased to 12 per cent in proportion to the Muslim population.

The Bill has put the Muslim population of Telangana state at 12.68 per cent.

The Telangana state Cabinet on Saturday approved the draft Bill of the Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes [Reservation of seats in Educational Institutions and appointments or posts in the Services under the State] Act, 2017, increasing reservations for Muslims (under Backward Classes Ecategory) and for Scheduled Tribes, in education and employment.

The Chelleppa Commission on Scheduled Tribe reservations has recommended 9.08 per cent increase in ST reservation based on the ST population, and this has been rounded off to 10 per cent.

The draft Bill increases the overall reservation quota in the state from 50 per cent at present to 62 per cent, which is above the Supreme Court prescribed limit of 50 per cent overall quota, and thus requires the Centre’s assent.

After the Bill is passed by the Legislature, it will be reserved by the Governor for consideration and assent of the President under Article 31C of the Constitution.

The state government will also request the Centre to include the increased quota in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, to give legal protection along the lines of the Tamil Nadu Reservation Act, which provides 69 per cent reservation, well above the Supreme Court prescribed limit.

The BJP, the ruling party at the Centre, is strongly opposed to a quota for Muslims on the grounds that it amounts to ‘communal reservations’, which is not permissible under the Constitution.

It remains to be seen whether the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre gives its assent to the TS Muslim quota Act.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti had promised 12 per cent quota for both Muslims and Schedule Tribes in its 2014 election manifesto.

However, since the ST population in the state is below 10 per cent, the government cannot provide 12 per cent quota proportionate to their population and so has decided to cap the ST reservations at 10 per cent.

In case the government decides to hike Muslim quota as per the community’s population in the state, BC quota must be hiked from 25 per cent to 52 per cent, based on their population — A REVANTH REDDY, TD MLA Congress welcomes increase in quota for STs and Muslims, but how will government overcome legal, Constitutional hurdles — SHABBIR ALI,

Congress MLC Why has the government put both Muslim and ST quota hike in one Bill? If courts strike down the Bill, STs may lose — G. KISHAN REDDY,

BJP MLA