Supreme Court Refuses to Stay Patna HC’s Decision on Bihar Reservation Law
New Delhi, July 29: In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Monday declined to stay the Patna High Court’s decision that nullified the Bihar government’s law, which sought to increase the reservation quota from 50% to 65% for Backward Classes, Extremely Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, opted not to provide any interim relief but agreed to review the state government’s plea to reinstate the quota hike applicable to jobs and educational institutions. The final hearing on the matter has been scheduled for September 2024.
This comes after the Patna High Court, in its June 20 ruling, struck down amendments made by the Bihar Assembly in 2023. The court ruled that these amendments violated the equality principles outlined in Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Indian Constitution. The amendments were introduced following a caste survey carried out by the Bihar government.
In November 2023, the Bihar government issued a notification to revise existing reservation laws, sparking a series of petitions in the Patna High Court. Petitioners argued that according to Supreme Court precedents, reservation should not exceed 50%. The contentious law would have elevated the total reservation to 75%, allocating 20% for SCs, 2% for STs, 25% for Extremely Backward Classes, 18% for Other Backward Classes (OBC), and 10% for Economically Backward Classes.
This ruling is viewed as a major setback for the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, which defended the amendments as necessary for addressing social disparities highlighted by the caste survey.
The Supreme Court’s decision to review the plea ensures the discussion on this critical issue remains alive, with implications for reservation policies not just in Bihar but potentially across India.
IANS
Original Story https://theshillongtimes.com/2024/07/29/sc-refuses-to-stay-patna-hc-decision-striking-down-hike-in-quota-in-bihar-2/
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