Govt rules out quota for orphans

Government today ruled out any quota for orphans in government jobs as sought in a private member bill, saying addition of any more clause in reservation cannot be entertained because of complexities.
"It may not be possible for entertaining another clause of reservation, which involves complexities and events following it," Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in Rajya Sabha while replying to a debate on the bill.
Singh said the quantum of reservation cannot exceed 50 per cent as per the Supreme Court judgement.
The bill, moved by BJP's Avinash Rai Khanna, sought reservation for orphans in government jobs on the lines of sports quota as he detailed the ordeals of such people.

However, on the demand for constituting a committee to look into the facilities that could be offered for orphan children, the minister said he would take up the issue with the ministry concerned as his portfolio is confined to issues associated with reservation.
Singh further said a total of 95,590 orphan children were benefitted through various schemes of the government during the last four years.

Expressing sympathy with orphan children, he said it was painful that several thousands of such children were queuing up before the places of worship for food.
Stressing that it was not only the responsibility of the government to help orphan children, Singh sought the participation of everyone in the society for the purpose.

While introducing the bill, Khanna said there was no official data on the number of orphan children in the country.
"The orphan children are systematically engaged in committing crimes... It is our responsibility to educate such children so that they can be made an asset of the society," he added.
Ananda Bhaskar Rapulo (Congress) supported the bill, saying the BJP-led government must consider the bill as this deprived section of the society needs to be taken care.
Later, Khanna withdrew the bill.