Advertisement

Updated September 26th, 2018 at 10:46 IST

Supreme Court verdict on reconsidering order on quota benefits for SC/ST in job promotions: LIVE Updates-

The Supreme Court rejected AG’s plea to refer the Nagaraj judgment dealing with the issue of reservation in promotions for SC ST in govt jobs to a higher bench

Reported by: Digital Desk
| Image:self
Advertisement

Update at 10.43 pm: The Supreme Court rejected AG’s plea to refer the Nagaraj judgment dealing with the issue of reservation in promotions for SC ST in govt jobs to a higher bench. The Supreme Court said 'not required to collect quantifiable data on the backwardness before giving promotions.' 

The case will not to be referred to a larger bench.


A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra pronounced  the verdict on conditions for granting quota benefits in job promotions for SC/ST employees.

The bench, also comprising Justices Kurian Joseph, R F Nariman, S K Kaul and Indu Malhotra, had reserved its verdict on August 30 after hearing various stakeholders, including the Centre, on the matter.

A five-judge constitution bench, in its 2006 verdict in the M Nagraj case, had said the states are bound to provide quantifiable data on the backwardness of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the facts about their inadequate representation in government jobs and the overall administrative efficiency, before providing quota in promotions to members of these communities.

The Centre and various state governments have also sought reconsideration of this verdict on various grounds, including that the members of the SC and ST communities are presumed to be backward and considering their stigma of caste, they should be given reservation even in job promotions.

The Centre has alleged that the verdict in the M Nagraj case had put unnecessary conditions in granting quota benefits to the SC and ST employees and sought its reconsideration by a larger bench.

Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, has strongly argued in favour of granting quota to SC and ST employees, saying there was a presumption of backwardness in their favour.

He said the SC and ST communities have been facing caste-based discrimination for long and the stigma of caste is attached to them despite the fact that some of them have come up.

During on of the hearings, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, who represents those opposing quota in promotions, had told the bench that earlier there was presumption of backwardness with regard to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities.

There should not be quota in promotions for higher services as the presumption of backwardness of SC and ST employees "vanishes" once they join government service, he had claimed.

Dwivedi had also said quota in promotions for SC/ST may be continued for class-IV and class-III services, but should not be allowed for higher services.

Earlier, the top court had questioned the logic behind granting quota in promotions in government jobs to the kith and kin of affluent persons among the SC and ST communities who have been holding high official positions.

It had asked why the 'creamy layer' principle, used to exclude the affluent among other backward classes (OBCs) from enjoying the fruits of reservation, cannot be made applicable to deny quota benefits in promotion to those affluent among the SC and ST communities. 

Advertisement

Published September 26th, 2018 at 10:46 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo