10% quota for general category poor will bring social harmony, reduce divisions, says PM Modi | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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10% quota for general category poor will bring social harmony, reduce divisions, says PM Modi

Ahmedabad | ByHT Correspondent
Jan 17, 2019 10:54 PM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Constitutional amendment to provide 10% reservation to economically poor in the general category was passed due to the political will of his government and will “usher social harmony” in society.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Constitutional amendment to provide 10% reservation to economically poor in the general category was passed due to the political will of his government and will “usher social harmony” in society.

PM Narendra Modi said the reservation will not affect existing social reservations.(ANI)
PM Narendra Modi said the reservation will not affect existing social reservations.(ANI)

“Implementation of 10% quota in government jobs and education for the economically weaker sections in the general category will usher in social harmony and bridge divisions in society,” Modi said, while addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 1,500 bed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Medical Science and Research.

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Modi said the reservation will not affect existing social reservations. “The new reservation will be implemented in 40,000 colleges across 900 universities in the country from this academic year. The number of seats will be increased by 10 per cent,” he said, adding that his government was committed to provide “equal opportunities” to all sections of the society.

Taking a shot at the opposition, the Prime Minister said that they lacked the courage of amending the Constitution. “Demand for reservation was decades old… but there was a lack of political will. The political parties used it as plank. But they lacked the courage. The NDA government has shown this will,” he said, in an indirect reference to the executive order issued by former Prime Minister Narsimha Rao introducing 10% reservation was economically poor in the general category. The order was stuck down by the Supreme Court.

Modi congratulated the Gujarat government to become the first state in India for implementing the amendment . It assumes the importance given to the fact that Patidars, the BJP’s staunch supporters for decades, have been up in arms with the government over OBC status and reservation benefits in government jobs and college admissions.

In the two important elections (2015 local body polls and 2017 assembly elections) held in the backdrop of the Patidar agitation, the BJP barely managed to win. The new reservation act has come months before the Lok Sabha elections, where in Gujarat the BJP is facing challenge of retaining all 26 seats.

Modi also said that in past four years, crores of jobs have been created in manufacturing , tourism and service sectors.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated a week-long Ahmedabad Shopping Festival at Sabarmati Riverfront, where he said the government has been working to make the Goods and Service Tax(GST) regime easier and simpler. He also mentioned how recently the government has increased interest rate exemption available between the period of pre-shipment and pro-shipment to 5% from 3%. “We are moving toward as system where the bank loans will be available based on the GST or other taxes returns. Today, small traders can get loan up to Rs 1 crore within 59 minutes’’.

He said that in past four years, crores of jobs have been created in manufacturing , tourism and service sectors. Earlier in the day, the PM inaugurated Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, which has been organized in Gandhinagar on the sideline of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2019. Modi will inaugurate the three-day summit on Friday.

Congress spokesman Manish Doshi, said: “The BJP has summoned its ‘will’ after electoral defeat in five states. It has shown will to give reservation when they have failed to generate employment, against promised 2 crore jobs every year. They have granted reservation when there are no jobs in the first place.”

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