President Ram Nath Kovind gave his nod to the 10 percent reservation bill today. (File)

NEW DELHI:

The bill was introduced by the government amid criticism by the opposition which said the move was a pre-election gimmick amid high unemployment. However, with elections just months away, no major political party dared to oppose the bill directly.
Ten percent of government jobs will now be reserved for people outside high-income brackets as President Ram Nath Kovind cleared a landmark bill passed by parliament this week.

Though the bill also applies to people from all religions, the new public sector job quota and reservation in government colleges are expected to mainly benefit the upper echelons of the Hindu caste system, which has traditionally been a core voter base for the BJP.

Joblessness in India shot up to a 15-month high last month, data from an independent think-tank showed, underlining the challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bid to retain power in a vote due by May.