Supreme Court Permits Sub-Classification Within Scheduled Castes and Tribes

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that states can sub-classify Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, provided representation adequacy is based on effective, not quantitative, metrics. The seven-judge bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, delivered this majority judgement, overruling earlier verdicts on the matter.

In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that states have the authority to sub-classify Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The court emphasized that representation adequacy must be assessed based on effective rather than quantitative metrics. The majority decision, passed by a 6:1 vote, marks a significant shift in the interpretation of reservation policies within these communities.

The seven-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, delivered the judgement, overturning a previous verdict in the EV Chinnaiah case, which had held that SC/STs formed homogenous classes and sub-classification was not permissible. The bench included Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra, and Satish Chandra Sharma.

Justice Bela M. Trivedi dissented, arguing that sub-classification within SCs and STs requires quantifiable data on representation inadequacy. In contrast, Chief Justice Chandrachud and Justice Mishra contended that Article 14 permits sub-classification when classes are not similarly situated, provided the state demonstrates inter-se backwardness with substantial material.

(With inputs from agencies.)