New Delhi: The Lok Sabha today passed the ‘Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024’ which aims at empowering the Pahari Ethnic Group, Padari Tribes, Koli and Gadda Brahmin by providing Scheduled Tribe status.
The inclusion of these communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir will, however, have no impact on the current level of reservations available to the existing Scheduled Tribe communities such as Gujjars and Bakarwals. They will continue to get reservations like before.
Reservation to the newly listed Scheduled Tribes will be provided in such a manner that it does not impact the communities which are already listed as Scheduled Tribes.
After the Bill is passed by the Parliament, the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will issue necessary notifications on the reservation, which will ensure that the people included in the existing list of Scheduled Tribes continue to get the same level of reservation.
The Lok Sabha today also passed the ‘Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024’ aimed at curbing leaks, malpractices as well as organised malpractices in recruitment examinations like the Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission and entrance tests such as NEET, JEE, and CUET.
Replying to an extensive debate on the Bill in which MPs from different political parties spoke, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said, the legislation aims at safeguarding the merit of youth and the well-being of children.
Initiating discussion in the house on the Bill, Dr Singh highlighted the incidents of malpractices, paper leaks, and impersonation from various parts of the country. He pointed out that in Rajasthan, there had been 12 incidents of malpractices since 2018 while the Sub-Inspector Recruitment scam surfaced in Jammu & Kashmir in March 2022 and SSC Combined Graduate Exam in 2017.
“There are several instances but prominently, in West Bengal, the Diploma in Elementary Education paper in November 2022 was leaked, again in the same state in February 2023 English paper leaked besides School Service Commission, West Bengal also leaked. In December 2022 Teacher Recruitment Scam unravelled in Rajasthan while in February 2022 the Rajasthan Eligibility Exam for Teachers was also plagued by malpractices and the exam had to be re-conducted. In May 2022 Rajasthan Police Constable Recruitment Exam was hit by a scam,” he said.
– global bihari bureau
