Following are the latest developments in Constitutional Amendment Bill:
The bill was passed with 323 lawmakers voting for it and only three voting against. Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- whose cabinet cleared the bill last evening -- and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi were present in the house for the voting. Neither had participated in the debate.
"We are resolutely committed to the principle of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.' It is our endeavour to ensure that every poor person, irrespective of caste or creed gets to lead a life of dignity, and gets access to all possible opportunities," PM Modi tweeted.
Among the opposition parties, the Samajwadi Party, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Trinamool Congress, the Left and the Congress said they would support the bill.The proposed law also got the support of Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal and Upendra Kushwaha, who walked out of the NDA last month following acrimony over seat sharing in Bihar.
Several of the opposition parties, including Lalu Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress, questioned timing of the bill, claiming the government's move was spurred by the coming national elections.
Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM said they opposed the bill. So did Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK, which walked out of the house ahead of the voting. AIADMK's Mr Thambi Durai said, "Have government schemes for the poor failed? There are enough schemes. This reservation bill which you are bringing will be struck down by the Supreme Court".
The Congress said it would prefer a parliamentary committee to look into the matter. It drew a reality check from Union Minister Arun Jaitley, who pointed out that in its manifesto, the party supported the issue. The opposition, he said, "faces test whether they support advancement of economically backward sections only for the manifesto or here in the house as well".
The bill is expected to benefit a huge section of upper castes -- including Brahmins, Rajputs (Thakurs), Jats, Marathas, Bhumihars, and several traders belonging to the Kapu and Kamma communities. The economically deprived among the other religions will also benefit.
A constitution amendment bill has to be passed with two-thirds majority in each house. Because the constitution does not provide for reservation on the ground of economic conditions, an amendment is required.
The 10 per cent reservation will be over and above the 50 per cent reservation stipulated by the Supreme Court. Any reservation above the cap invites judicial scrutiny. But the government has argued that the fresh reservation depends on economy, not caste and so, will not fall foul of the top court.
"Reservation was always envisioned for socially or educationally backward, on the basis of caste. Therefore Supreme Court's judgment applies only to reservation of backward classes," Mr Jaitley said.
Man Scales Wall, Jumps Inside Parliament Annexe Premises, Arrested: Report "Lok Sabha Elections In J&K Triumph Of Ballot Over Bullet": Poll Body Chief Opinion: Opinion: Will Messages From Budget Session Of Parliament Find Reflection In Subsequent Sessions? Parents Gave Names Of Interns, Doctors To CBI In Kolkata Horror: Sources How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Video: Woman Tries To Jump Off Mumbai's Atal Setu, Saved By Driver, Cops Kerala Launches 1st Digital Court For Negotiable Instruments Cases "Far From Over" But Joe Biden Has High Hopes For Gaza Ceasefire Indian Student In UK Develops Revolutionary Carbon-Extracting Biomaterial Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.