Amid stormy session, OBC Bill passed in Lok Sabha with rare Oppn unity

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday approved the 127th Constitution Amendment bill to restore the right of states to identify and provide reservation benefits to other backward castes (OBC).

This is the first time in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, that a piece of legislation was tabled and passed unanimously without disruptions.

The entire House supported the bill and Lok Sabha MPs debated for more than six hours even as protests continued in Rajya Sabha over the controversial farm laws.
Many parties, including those in Opposition as well as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allies, demanded that the current 50% cap on reservations should be lifted.

On May 5, while scrapping a separate quota for the Maratha community in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court had ruled that after a 2018 amendment in the Constitution, only the central government could notify socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs) – not the states.

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This interpretation struck a blow to the authority of state governments in identifying backward classes and provide them with reservation benefits. The new bill bypasses the Supreme Court’s decision.