New Delhi, August 10

For the first time since the Monsoon Session of Parliament began on July 19, the Lok Sabha witnessed debate in an orderly manner on Tuesday as it took up a constitutional amendment bill which seeks to restore the states' power to make their own OBC lists.

Moving the bill for consideration and passage, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar described 'The Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021' as a historic legislation as 671 castes in the country would benefit from it.

Kumar said the bill would restore the states' rights to prepare their own lists of OBCs so that various communities could be given social and economic justice.

The minister said the bill should be considered the 105th Constitution Amendment bill after being renumbered.

The 102nd Constitution Amendment Act of 2018 inserted Articles 338B, which deals with the structure, duties and powers of the National Commission for Backward Classes, and 342A that deals with the powers of the president to notify a particular caste as an SEBC and the power of Parliament to change the list. Article 366 (26C) defines SEBCs.

The Supreme Court has dismissed the Centre's plea seeking a review of its May 5 majority verdict that held that the 102nd Constitution amendment took away the states' power to notify SEBCs for the grant of quota in jobs and admissions.

"If this Constitution bill is not brought, 671 OBCs would not have got reservation. All of them will benefit now," he said.

Initiating the debate, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury extended his party's wholehearted support to the bill but criticised the government for the 2018 amendment saying had the government inserted the suggestion proposed by the Opposition, today's situation would not have arisen. PTI