The lok Sabha on Monday passed the Bill on amendments to Motor Vehicle Act with stringent provisions to ensure safety and traffic besides a legislation to accord constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes. HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar introduced Bill to permit 15 IIITs award degrees and another Bill seeking to amend the Right to Education Act to allow elementary teachers time till 2019 to get acquire minimum qualifications as mandated under the 2010 law.
The bill to amend Motor Vehicles Act introduced by Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari received support from opposition parties and passed by voice vote. All efforts would be made to eliminate corruption in the sector, Gadkari said while replying to a discussion on the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016, claiming that "no bogus driving lincenses would be made and there would be no theft of the vehicles once there is e-governance."
"Once we (BJP) complete five years, we would be able to save 50 per cent lives lost due to road accidents. We are working towards it," Gadkari said.
The bill to accord constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes was approved by the lok Sabha even as the Opposition expressed apprehensions that it would impair the power of states. The Constitution Amendment bill, which requires two-thirds majority for passage, was approved by the House with 360 members voting in favour and two against. Terming it as "historic" bill, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said it would promote the welfare of the OBCs. The Minister assured the House that the bill, which has similar provisions as in case of SC and ST commissions, will not curtail the powers of states in any way.
Javadekar introduced the IIIT (Public-Private Partnership) Bill, 2017, which seeks to declare 15 functional IIITs, set up under public-private partnership mode, as institutions of national importance. He also introduced the bill seeking to amend the Right to Education Act to allow elementary teachers time till 2019 to get acquire minimum qualifications as mandated under the 2010 law. As per the existing Act which came into effect from April 1, 2010, these teachers were to acquire minimum qualifications within five years by March 31, 2015.