Chandra Shekhar Azad introduces bill asking pvt sector quota for SC,ST,OBC

Lok Sabha MP Chandra Shekhar Azad on Friday introduced a private member bill in Lok Sabha seeking reservation for the SCs, STs, and the OBCs in private sector, educational institutions, and other establishments that employ at least 20 people and have no government financial interest.

The bill seeks to extend reservation benefits, currently meant only for public sector, to the private sector.

The bill was formally titled the Reservation for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes in Private Sector Act, 2024.

Under the proposed legislation, the Central government must incentivise private sector entities to implement reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs through special concessions and facilitate lower interest loans through nationalised banks.

The bill also seeks presentation of an annual report detailing the actions taken under the Act in both houses of Parliament. The Central government will be mandated to create rules to ensure the effective implementation of the Act, it said.

The bill draws support from Article 16(4) and 16(4A) of the Constitution, which permit reservations in public sector undertakings and financial institutions receiving government grants.

At present, there is no mandate for private sector reservations.

Chandra Shekhar Azad, in his statement of objects and reasons, highlighted the importance of private sector involvement in nation-building and the need for inclusive growth.

"The private sector plays a vital role in our economy. To ensure equitable growth and socio-economic upliftment, it is imperative to have representation from all sections of society," Azad said.