PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 135
is that this matter should be left to be determined by the State Government in concurrence with the Election Commission. I do not think it would be possible for us right now or for the Centre to define for each particular State which person should be treated as a graduate although as a matter of fact in technical terms he is not a graduate.
Shri A. P. Jain (Uttar Pradesh) : May I ask a question ? Will you recognize a person as a graduate under this law who is recognized by a State Public Service Commission or the Union Public Service Commission as a graduate ?
Dr. Ambedkar : The point is this that under the Constitution all electoral matters are really the concern of the Election Commission and if the Election Commission seeks the advice of the Public Service Commission or any other body in order that it may come to the right conclusion there will be nothing to prevent it from doing that. But the final authority will be that of the State Government in concurrence with the Election Commission.
I do not think that there is any other point that requires to be elucidated. These are the general provisions of the Bill and I hope that the House will find that they are the most suitable under the circumstances.
Shri R. K. Chaudhuri (Assam) : What about the displaced persons who have come to India now ?
Dr. Ambedkar : If you are raising the point I will explain it now. We have provided, as you will see in clause 20(6), that anybody who has come to India before the 25th July, 1949 will be entitled to be registered as a voter in the constituency in which he resided on that date or in any other constituency which he may specify to be his constituency.
Shri Tyagi (Uttar Pradesh) : What about those who are coming now, in 1950 ?
Dr. Ambedkar : That we cannot do, because under our Constitution a voter is required to be a citizen, and our citizenship clause defines citizenship as on the commencement. Unless we have a new citizenship law to regulate the position