In a 6:1 verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that subclassification of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) is permissible to grant separate quotas for the more marginalized among these communities. Justice Bela Trivedi dissented.
The Constitution bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, overruled a 2005 judgment that had prohibited state governments from creating sub-categories of SCs for reservation purposes. CJI Chandrachud stated that quota within quota is not against the principle of equality and that members of SCs/STs often struggle to progress due to systemic discrimination.
“Sub-classification does not violate the principle of equality enshrined under Article 14 of the Constitution,” the court said. However, it emphasized that any subclassification must be based on quantifiable and demonstrable data provided by the states.
“States cannot act on whims or political expediency, and their decisions are subject to judicial review,” CJI Chandrachud added.
