Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: In a significant setback for the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, the Supreme Court today refused to stay the Patna High Court’s decision to strike down the state’s 65% quota for backward classes. This quota, which included Backward Classes, Extremely Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs), was increased from 50% following a caste survey conducted by the Bihar government last year.
The enhanced quota was intended to be applicable to jobs and educational institutions across Bihar. However, the Patna High Court, in its June 20 ruling, declared the amendments unanimously passed by the state’s bicameral legislature in November last year as “ultra vires” of the Constitution, “bad in law,” and “violative of the equality clause.”
The High Court emphasized that there were no extenuating circumstances justifying the state’s decision to exceed the 50% cap on reservations established by the Supreme Court in the landmark Indra Sawhney case. “The state proceeded on the mere proportion of population of different categories as against their numerical representation in government services and educational institutions,” the High Court noted.
The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the High Court’s ruling underscores the judicial scrutiny faced by policies that attempt to breach the established reservation limits. This development is poised to have significant implications for the Nitish Kumar government’s approach to caste-based reservations and its broader political strategy.
