By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: In a big move for Dalit Christians and Muslims, the Union government has indicated to bring these sections of the society into the fold of reservation.
As it is required under the Constitution and law, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government asked the National Commission of Scheduled Castes and the National
Commission of Backward Classes to examine the issue of providing reservation benefits to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims.
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar told the Rajya Sabha on 3rd March that as a Minister she was not authorised to make any observation regarding this issue till the two commissions gave their recommendations. She informed the house that the National Commission for Linguistic and Religious Minorities had examined the issue of reservation for Dalit Christians and Muslims and had already submitted its recommendations to the government.
According to the minister, the report presented by the linguistic commission has stated that 15% reservation for Scheduled Castes cannot be disturbed. She further said the quota for Dalit Christians and Muslims fell in the category of OBCs.