Quota bill in Centre’s court

The Bill for enhanced quota for Backward Muslims and Scheduled Tribes that was passed by the Telangana Legislature on April 16, landed in the Central Government’s court on Monday. The Union Home Ministry will have to vet it before sending it to the President of India for assent.

After the Bill was passed by the Telangana Legislature, Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan took his time to approve it. Sources in the Government revealed that the Governor sought many clarifications from the Law and Backward Classes Ministry before finally approving the Bill. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao met the Governor recently and reminded him about the Bill.

The Telangana backward classes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes (reservation of seats in educational institutions and of appointments or posts in services under the state) Bill, 2017 envisages increase in quota for Backward Muslims from the existing four per cent to 12 per cent, and for Scheduled Tribes from the existing six per cent to 10 per cent; the combined reservation quota thus goes up from the existing 50 per cent to 62 per cent.

The Union Home Ministry will circulate the Bill to the Law and Legislative wings of the Ministry before sending it to the President. There is no saying how long this process will take as the Bharatiya Janata Partyled National Democratic Alliance Government is not in favour of reservations for Muslims because it is religion based. The President is bound to act on the recommendation of the Central Government.

Should the Bill get the President’s assent, state government sources say a notification will be issued declaring it as an Act. At a later stage, the Act will be pushed to Parliament for putting in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution, which will protect it from court interference.

Unless there is going to be political compulsion or understanding with TRS Government, the Bill will not be pushed further either for President’s assent or placing it before Parliament.