NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018. The Bill is meant to overturn a Supreme Court order that struck down the provision for immediate arrest of the accused booked under the Act.
Lok Sabha has already passed the bill, and with the Upper House passing it on Thursday, it is set to become a law.
Replying to the discussion on the bill, union social justice minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot said that the government was committed to the welfare of the Dalits and the weaker sections and stressed that it had not brought the bill “under any pressure”.
The bill provides that an investigating officer will not require the approval of any authority for the arrest of the accused booked under the SC/ST Act.
Gehlot also said that when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was asked if his government will be run in the ‘Manuwad’ way or the ‘Bhimwad’ way, he answered it will be in the ‘Bhimwad’ way.
The Upper House witnessed some slogan shouting by Opposition, however, motion to consider the Bill was moved and passed.
Rajya Sabha also passed National Sports University Bill 2018 and Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill.
Minister of state, Youth Affairs and Sports, Rajyavardhan Rathore said, “It is everyone's responsibility to take sports forward. Be it central government or private sector. National sports development funding has helped so far and we won't let anyone go without funding."
The minister said that the proposed university would offer masters and bachelor degree in various fields including sports management and sports science. “Besides the main campus in Manipur, regional centres of the university would also be established in other parts of the country and abroad as well. We want to establish a high standard institution,” he added.