TN passes minority reservation Bill

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday approved a Bill that would provide reservations in education and government jobs for Muslims and Christians under the state's quota law.

The Bill, which replaced an ordinance issued last month, was passed unanimously after all political parties supported it.

The main opposition AIADMK was absent as its MLAs have been suspended for this session. "Though 94 per cent of Muslims and 80 per cent of Christians in the state were classified as backward castes by the Ambasankar Commission in 1985, they were unable to compete with other backwards for their share in the absence of a separate quota. Hence this government decided to provide them 3 per cent quota each in the 30 per cent quota meant for backwards," CM M Karunanidhi said.

The September 15 ordinance that notified the quota has been challenged in the Madras HC.