On Thursday, the Supreme Court concluded its three-day hearing and reserved judgment on a critical question: whether a state government possesses the authority to create sub-classifications within scheduled castes and scheduled tribes for the allocation of reservations, specifically targeting more disadvantaged and vulnerable castes within these groups for admissions and public employment.
The seven-judge constitution bench, consisting of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice B.R. Gavai, Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Bela M. Trivedi, Justice Pankaj Mitha, Justice Manoj Misra, and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, has reserved its verdict. This follows a comprehensive examination of arguments surrounding the matter.
The context of this legal scrutiny revolves around reconsidering a pivotal 2004 judgment by a five-judge constitution bench. This precedent had determined that scheduled castes and scheduled tribes constitute homogeneous groups, and consequently, states are not authorized to further subdivide them to allocate reservations within the existing quota, specifically for more marginalized and vulnerable castes within these communities. The forthcoming verdict will carry significant implications for the interpretation and implementation of reservation policies in India.
