Lok Sabha passes bill for extending SC-ST quota in legislatures

18:50 December 10

Lok Sabha clears bill to extend the quota given to SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and state by ten years

Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a Constitution amendment bill to extend reservation to SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and state assemblies by another ten years, with Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserting that the quota in legislatures was required to build a new political leadership of the two communities.

The bill was passed with 352 members voting in favour and none against it.

The reservation for SCs, STs and Anglo-Indians given for the past 70 years in Lok Sabha and state assemblies was due to end on January 25, 2020.

The reservation for Anglo-Indians in the form of 'nomination' is set to expire on January 25 next year as the Bill does not extend the facility to the community.

Prasad said the doors are not shut and the matter to grant Anglo-Indians nomination would be considered.

14:11 December 10

House proceedings begin in LS

13:06 December 10

Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm

12:21 December 10

House takes up matters of public importance. 

12:05 December 10

HM Amit Shah replies after Adhir Ranjan Choudhury charges there is 'no normalcy' in Kashmir

"Situation in Kashmir valley is completely normal. I can't make Congress's condition normal, because they had predicted bloodshed after the abrogation of Article 370. Nothing of that sort happened, not one bullet was fired.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said a decision on releasing detained political leaders, including three former chief ministers, in Jammu and Kashmir will be taken by the local administration and the central government will not interfere in the matter.

The minister's statement came after Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked the government when political leaders, including sitting member and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, would be released.
 

11:43 December 10

LIVE: Lok Sabha proceedings underway, HM Amit Shah speaks on Kashmir

New Delhi: After Lok Sabha cleared the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill past midnight on Monday, leaders of several Opposition parties voiced their discontent and said it was against national interest.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, and the Personal Data Protection Bill are among the nine bills, which are expected to be taken up for passage in the Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament. The bill seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan escaping religious persecution there. The bill was cleared by the Union Cabinet earlier.

They will be given Indian citizenship after residing in the country for five years, instead of 11 years which is the current rule.

The Bill, which seeks to give citizenship to refugees from the Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zorastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh was passed in Lok Sabha after a lively debate and a division of vote with 311 MPs voting in favour of the bill and 80 voting against it.