In a landmark decision on Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that states have the authority to sub-classify Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) for quota allocation. This ruling overturns the 2004 EV Chinnaiah vs State of Andhra Pradesh judgment, which had previously deemed sub-classification impermissible.
The seven-judge constitution bench, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and including Justices B.R. Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M. Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra, and Satish Chandra Sharma, delivered the verdict by a 6:1 majority. The ruling allows states to sub-classify within SCs and STs to extend quotas to more backward groups within these communities.
The court’s decision examined whether sub-classification could address disparities among SC/ST groups and ensure that the most disadvantaged within these communities benefit from reservations. The ruling emphasized that such sub-classifications must be supported by “quantifiable and demonstrable data” from the states.
The Union government had supported the idea of sub-classifications during the hearings, arguing that it could help address inequalities where more advantaged members of SC/ST communities have disproportionately benefited from reservations.
Justice Trivedi was the sole dissenter, while the Chief Justice and Justice Misra authored the primary judgment.
