Supreme Court Verdict on Sub-classification of Scheduled Castes

The Supreme Court ruled that states cannot create sub-classifications within Scheduled Castes for granting quotas, as specified in Article 341. Justice Bela M Trivedi dissented, emphasizing that only Parliament can make such changes. This ruling revisits the 2004 E V Chinnaiah vs State of Andhra Pradesh case, further clarifying the legislative boundaries and constitutional mandates around reservation policies.

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court on Thursday declared that states are not authorized to create sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes (SCs) for quota allocations, emphasizing that such powers rest solely with the Parliament as specified under Article 341 of the Constitution.

Justice Bela M Trivedi dissented, arguing that altering the Presidential List under the guise of providing reservations is unconstitutional. She highlighted that this settled law was reaffirmed by the Constitution bench in the E V Chinnaiah vs State of Andhra Pradesh case and should not have been revisited.

The majority verdict, led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, allowed for sub-classifications of SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs) by states to ensure quotas for more disadvantaged castes, but Justice Trivedi's separate judgment stressed that such actions must adhere strictly to constitutional provisions, reaffirming the legislative and judicial boundaries concerning reservation policies.

(With inputs from agencies.)