Centre to scrap Anglo-Indian quota in Lok Sabha

The Centre has decided to scrap the reservation for the Anglo-Indian community in the Lok Sabha, even as it approved a proposal to extend the quotas for SCs and STs in the Lower House and the state assemblies for another 10 years.

The reservation for these categories in the Lok Sabha and the assemblies was to expire on January 25, 2020.

According to the law, 84 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 47 for Scheduled Tribes.

In addition, the government nominates two members from the Anglo-Indian community to the Lok Sabha, making it a house of 545 members.

The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a Bill to extend the reservation in Lok Sabha and state assemblies for a period of 10 years. However, the Bill has decided to drop provisions related to the nomination of members from the Anglo-Indian community to the Lok Sabha.

According to the Ministry of Law and Justice, Article 334 of the Constitution lays down that the provisions of the Constitution relating to the reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and in the Legislative Assemblies of the States.

Article 334 of the Constitution originally had provisions for reservation of elected seats to cease in 1960, but this was extended to 1970 by the 8th Amendment.

The Article has been amended from time to time, with the last changed being done through the 95th amendment in 2009.