The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed a constitution amendment bill to offer promotion reservations to scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs). The Constitution (117th Amendment) Bill was passed with 194 in favour and 10 against it in the 245-member House. A two-thirds majority was required for approving the amendment.

Nine Samajwadi Party (SP) MPs and one independent, Md Adeeb, voted against the bill, while Shiv Sena MPs were absent.

Promotion quotas, which were in existence since 1955, had been struck down by the Supreme Court in 1992. Later, Congress and NDA governments amended the Constitution to renew it, but the SC laid down prerequisites, such as adequate data and administrative efficiency, in a 2006 judgment.  

The bill is likely to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Its smooth passage in the Upper House was marked by strong support from the BSP and vehement opposition by the SP.

“We supported the move and had just a few concerns, which have been accepted by the government,” BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Javadekar said.

Samajwadi Party member Ram Gopal Yadav said the provision of “consequential seniority” in promotions was wrong and divisive.