SC to examine govt's 10% quota decision

The Supreme Court on Friday said it has decided to examine the government’s decision on 10% quota for economically weaker sections in jobs and higher education, but refused to stay its implementation.

Considering various petitions challenging the validity of the Constitution (103 Amendment) Act, 2019, a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna issued a notice to the central government on various petitions.

“We are examining the matter and hence issuing notice returnable within four weeks,” the bench said.

The petitions challenging the Centre’s decision were filed by parties including organisations like ‘Janhit Abhiyan’ and ‘Youth For Equality’. The DMK had also moved the Madras High Court on the issue.

At the fag end of the Winter Session earlier this month, Parliament had passed the Constitution Amendment Bill to provide quota for poor candidates in general category. It was seen as a move by the Narendra Modi-led government keeping in mind the elections.

Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the pleas did not deserve a hearing and there should not be any stay. To this, the bench said it has merely issued notice. When some lawyers started arguing simultaneously, the bench said, “Don’t come to this court to create trouble. Call the next case.”

‘Youth for Equality’, in its petition, argued that economic criterion cannot be the sole basis for reservation and that it violated the basic structure of the Constitution as reservation on economic grounds cannot be limited to general categories and the overall 50% ceiling limit cannot be breached.