PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 473
allocation of seats in the House of the People, and states in sub-section (2) that “to each State specified in the first column of the First Schedule, there shall be allotted the number of seats specified in the second column thereof opposite to that State”. In the First Schedule the seats have been allotted to Part C States also. The question arises, what about the scheduled tribes and the scheduled castes ? Now, that too has been provided for. In section
6 of the Act, in sub-section (2), it is stated, “As soon as may be after the commencement of this Act, the President shall, by order, determine—(a)......(b) ...... (c) ...... and (d) the number of seats, if any, reserved for the scheduled castes or for the scheduled tribes in each constituency.” This section authorises the President to determine reservation even for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Therefore, it seems to me that this Bill is altogether unnecessary. There is the Constitutional mandatory provision in article 330. The Representation of the People Act, 1930 goes further—in fact it implements that Constitutional mandate and provides seats for Part C States and also provides for representation to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Therefore, it seems to me there is only one matter which is left rather in doubt. And that is the specification of the particular castes and the particular tribes which would be entitled to be recorded as such. That could be done, as it has been done in the case of Part A and B States, by order of the President, not only under articles 330 and 392 of the Constitution but also under section 6 of the Act which is sought to be amended by this Bill. Although, I wholeheartedly agree with the purpose of this Bill—I do want that the scheduled castes and tribes should be represented and all doubts about their representation should be removed. There is no question about that—it seems to me that when a mere order of the President specifying these tribes and castes will do. when such an order could have been placed before Parliament and as in the case of the Part A and B States, it could have been revised, altered or modified by Parliament later on, giving enough time to the people of these States to