Reservation for orphans: SC notice to Centre, states

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Centre and all states on a PIL seeking direction to the Union government to provide orphans with the right to reservation in jobs and admission to educational institutions.

“The government is not fulfilling its role as parens patriae for orphans by denying the right to equality and right to life enshrined in the Constitution,” Lucknow-resident Poulomi Pavini Shukla stated in her PIL.

A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumathi sought a response from the governments on the plea that orphans were to be given incentives meant for children of SC/ST and OBC parents.

The petitioner also urged for a direction to the government to form an expert group of the NITI Aayog or a commission like Mandal Commission with public participation to examine all aspects of the orphans and children in need of care and protection, their problems and suggested solutions.

Among others, the petitioner also demanded that the government should announce orphans day on January 1 and earmark 1% of MPLADS and MLALADS for the welfare of orphans, who should also be given a right to choose their religion and caste.