Jharkhand assembly passes bill to raise reservations to 77%
Ranchi (PTI): A bill was passed in the Jharkhand assembly on Friday to raise the total reservation offered to different categories to 77 per cent.
In a special session, the assembly passed an amendment to the Jharkhand Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services Act, 2001, raising the reservations for STs, SCs, EBCs, OBCs and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in government jobs from the present 60 per cent.
The bill proposes that the state will urge the Centre for changes in the Ninth Schedule of Constitution.
In the proposed reservation, local people of the SC community will get a quota of 12 per cent, STs will get 28 per cent, Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) 15 per cent, OBCs 12 per cent, and EWS barring those from the other reserved categories 10 per cent.
At present, the STs get a 26 per cent reservation in Jharkhand, while SCs get 10 per cent quota.
The OBCs currently get a 14 per cent quota in the state, and increasing it was an electoral promise of all mainstream parties in 2019, including the ruling alliance of JMM, Congress and RJD.
The bill was passed amid protests by MLAs of the ruling BJP.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren termed the legislation a "suraksha kavach" (safety shield) for the state's people who foiled conspiracies by the opposition.
Proposals for some amendments, and a proposal to send the bill for vetting by an assembly committee were rejected.
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Punjab woman injured during Pak aerial intrusion dies
Ludhiana (PTI): A 50-year-old woman, who was grievously injured during a Pakistani aerial intrusion in Punjab's Feorzepur last week died at a private hospital here on Tuesday while two of her family were still undergoing treatment, officials said.
The woman, Sukhwinder Kaur, and her family members received serious burn injuries last Friday when some debris fell on their house in the Khai Pheme Ke village, setting the structure and a car on fire during the Pakistani aerial intrusion.
Lakhwinder Singh (55), his wife Sukhwinder Kaur and their son Monu Singh (24) had sustained injuries. Earlier, officials said that Monu Singh was the brother of Lakhwinder.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a Rs 5 lakh ex gratia from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the family of Sukhwinder Kaur. He expressed deep sorrow over Kaur's death.
"Our government stands firmly with her family during this time of immense pain, and we are committed to providing all possible support to help them cope with this devastating loss," he said.
Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora also extended financial assistance, announcing Rs 2 lakh for Kaur's family.
Multiple aerial attacks were carried out by Pakistan at many places along western India's borders, including in Punjab, that were effectively thwarted by the Indian security forces.
New Delhi and Islamabad reached an understanding on Saturday afternoon to halt military actions with immediate effect after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
