New Delhi, Jan 7: In a major decision, the Union Cabinet on Monday decided to give 10 percent reservation for economically backward upper castes ahead of Lok Sabha polls 2019.
The reservation may go up from 50 percent to 60 percent. Following the cabinet approval, the Narendra Modi government will now move to ammend the Constitution in order to grant this 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker upper castes. "The reservation will be given to those economically backward poor people who are not availing the benefit of reservation as of now," a source explained. The reservation benefit is likely to be availed by those whose annual income is below Rs 8 lakh and have up to five acres of land, he said. Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution will have to be amended for implementation of the decision, the sources added. The decision comes months before the government's tenure is to end in a few months and the country is headed into election mode. Dalit leader and junior social justice minister Ramdas Athawale had earlier supported reservation for upper castes, arguing that since quotas could not be ended, parliament should give 25 per cent reservation to the upper castes.