Caught in a piquant situation over the Supreme Court order on the issue of creamy layer in reservation for SCs and STs, the Government may opt for a Constitution amendment in the coming Winter Session of the Parliament to remedy the situation.
The matter has become urgent as Assemly elections in five States including politically significant Uttar Pradesh was round the corner. Dalits constitute a sizeable per centage of population in the state.
An indication to this effect was given by a prominent member of a Group of Ministers on dalit Affairs constituted by the Prime Minister to firm up opinion whether the matter should be referred to a larger bench or the Constitution be amended.
The GOM, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, met on 14 November and decided to seek opinion of the Attorney General on the issue.
"The Government is evaluating the options of either going in for a Constitutional amendment or seeking referrence of the matter to a larger bench. We have sought the opinion of the Attorney General on the matter," Mukherjee had said after a meeting of the GoM last week.
The Congress-led UPA Government says, that it is committed to the depressed sections and whatever measure was needed would be adopted to protect their interests.
Lok Janshakti Party chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said, "Constitution should be amended to deal with the creamy layer issue".
Paswan said, GoM would accept the "best course" on the order of the Supreme Court on the creamy layer issue.
Political parties, including Paswan's Lok Janshakti, have been suggesting that the reservation-related laws should be put under the ninth Schedule of the Constitution to overcome adverse judicial scrutiny.
Meanwhile, turning pro-active on the issue of private sector job reservation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has constituted a Coordination Committee to go into the issue of affirmative action by business and industry in providing jobs for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The move by the Prime Minister has come at a time when several Chambers of Commerce have made it known that they were for affirmative action like providing training to youth from the weaker sections but have opposed a legislation to implement reservations.
A group of Ministers led by Sharad Pawar had gone into the issue and had recommended that the entire UPA leadership should collectively take a decision in the crucial matter.
Social Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar had threatned a legislation if the private sector failed to act fast but showed an "indifferent" attitude.
Source: The hindu
The matter has become urgent as Assemly elections in five States including politically significant Uttar Pradesh was round the corner. Dalits constitute a sizeable per centage of population in the state.
An indication to this effect was given by a prominent member of a Group of Ministers on dalit Affairs constituted by the Prime Minister to firm up opinion whether the matter should be referred to a larger bench or the Constitution be amended.
The GOM, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, met on 14 November and decided to seek opinion of the Attorney General on the issue.
"The Government is evaluating the options of either going in for a Constitutional amendment or seeking referrence of the matter to a larger bench. We have sought the opinion of the Attorney General on the matter," Mukherjee had said after a meeting of the GoM last week.
The Congress-led UPA Government says, that it is committed to the depressed sections and whatever measure was needed would be adopted to protect their interests.
Lok Janshakti Party chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said, "Constitution should be amended to deal with the creamy layer issue".
Paswan said, GoM would accept the "best course" on the order of the Supreme Court on the creamy layer issue.
Political parties, including Paswan's Lok Janshakti, have been suggesting that the reservation-related laws should be put under the ninth Schedule of the Constitution to overcome adverse judicial scrutiny.
Meanwhile, turning pro-active on the issue of private sector job reservation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has constituted a Coordination Committee to go into the issue of affirmative action by business and industry in providing jobs for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The move by the Prime Minister has come at a time when several Chambers of Commerce have made it known that they were for affirmative action like providing training to youth from the weaker sections but have opposed a legislation to implement reservations.
A group of Ministers led by Sharad Pawar had gone into the issue and had recommended that the entire UPA leadership should collectively take a decision in the crucial matter.
Social Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar had threatned a legislation if the private sector failed to act fast but showed an "indifferent" attitude.
Source: The hindu