Prime Minister Modi Meets SC/ST MPs to Discuss Supreme Court’s Reservation Decision
On August 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with a delegation of SC/ST MPs in New Delhi to discuss the Supreme Court’s recent decision regarding the exclusion of the creamy layer of SC/ST from reservation benefits.
Prime Minister Modi posted on X, ‘Met a delegation of SC/ST MPs today. Reiterated our commitment and resolve for the welfare and empowerment of the SC/ST communities.’
After the meeting, BJP MP Prof (Dr) Sikander Kumar stated that PM Modi assured the MPs that the government would work in their favor. BJP MP Faggan Singh Kulaste added that the Prime Minister agreed that the Supreme Court’s decision should not be implemented.
On August 1, the Supreme Court ruled that states have the power to sub-classify SCs and STs. The judgement, delivered by a seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, stated that sub-classification within SCs and STs is permissible. The bench included Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra, and Satish Chandra Sharma.
Justice BR Gavai suggested that states should develop a policy to identify the creamy layer within SC/ST to exclude them from affirmative action benefits. However, Justice Bela M. Trivedi dissented, disagreeing with the majority judgement on sub-classification.
Doubts Revealed
Prime Minister Modi -: Prime Minister Modi is the leader of India. He helps make important decisions for the country.
SC/ST MPs -: SC/ST MPs are Members of Parliament who belong to the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). These are groups of people in India who have special protections and benefits because they have faced discrimination in the past.
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes important decisions about laws and rules in the country.
Reservation -: Reservation in India means setting aside a certain number of jobs or seats in schools for people from certain groups, like SC/ST, to help them get equal opportunities.
Creamy layer -: The creamy layer refers to the wealthier and more educated members of the SC/ST groups. The idea is that they might not need as much help as others in their group.
Sub-classify -: Sub-classify means to divide a group into smaller groups. In this case, it means dividing SC/ST into smaller groups based on their needs.
Justice BR Gavai -: Justice BR Gavai is a judge in the Supreme Court of India. He suggested that the creamy layer within SC/ST should be identified.
Justice Bela M. Trivedi -: Justice Bela M. Trivedi is another judge in the Supreme Court of India. She disagreed with the idea of sub-classifying SC/ST.
Majority judgement of 6:1 -: This means that out of 7 judges, 6 agreed on the decision, and 1 did not. It shows that most judges supported the idea.
