On 17th September 1949, Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar moved a new Article [300A and 300 B] one regarding Scheduled Caste then other Schedule Tribe and spoke in the Constituent Assembly as follows;
“The object of these two Articles as I stated was to eliminate the necessity of burdening the Constitution with long lists of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes. It is now proposed that the President in consultation with the Governor or ruler of a State should have a power to issue a General Notification in the Gazette specifying all the caste and tribes are group thereof deemed to be Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of the privileges which have been defined for them in the Constitution only limitation that has been imposed is this; that once a notification has been issued by the President which undoubtedly he will be issuing in consultation with and on the advice of the Government of each States thereafter if any elimination was to be made from the List so notified or any addition was to be made, that must be made by the Parliament and not by the President. The object is to eliminate any kind of political factors having a play is a matter of disturbance in the Schedule so published by the President.”
Thakurdas Bhargava: Sir I move that in Amendment No. 201 of List V [8th week] in Clause II of the proposed new Article 300A the following be added at the end that;
“For the period of 10 years from the commencement of the Constitution.”
I also move that in amendment No. 201 of List V [8th week] in Clause II of the proposed new Article 300B the following be added at the end;
“For the period of 10 years from the commencement of the Constitution.”
I agree with the principles for 10 years to come no variation of the notification originally made by the President should be possible because now that specific privileges of reservation etc., have been given to the Scheduled Caste, I do not like the idea that the Executive, President or Governor or any other person is able to tamper with that right but often a period of 10 years can this privilege will no longer be available to the Scheduled Caste and there will be no different within the Scheduled Caste and other backward Classes, which will be declared under Article 301 of the Constitution at that time there will be no meaning in taking away this powers of the President in consultation with the Governor.
Comment: The benefit accorded to the Schedule Caste was to continue only for 10 years and every 10 years thereafter will be renewed by the Government. And, thus in 1950, a Scheduled Caste has seen extension for seventh 10 year tenure, and now the reservation is not permanent as anybody seems to imagine, it has to be renewed every 10 years. One is inclined wonder as to how Scheduled Caste will improve their lot within the period of 10 years and they have to depend upon a party in power for any further extension.