Supreme Court’s Decision on SC/ST Quotas: RJD Leader Manoj Jha Responds
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that states must identify the ‘creamy layer’ within Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) and exclude them from quota benefits. This landmark judgement was delivered by a seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.
Manoj Jha’s Response
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Manoj Jha expressed his respect for the Supreme Court’s decision but criticized it as unjust and emotionless without substantial data on the socio-economic standings of each caste. He stated, “Unless you have substantial data with regard to each caste, we cannot know about their socio-economic standing.”
Details of the Judgement
Chief Justice Chandrachud emphasized that states have the power to sub-classify SCs and STs and must base adequacy on effective representation, not just quantitative data. The judgement overruled a previous decision in the EV Chinnaiah case, which had held that sub-classification was not permissible.
Justice Bela M. Trivedi dissented, disagreeing with the majority opinion that sub-classification within SCs and STs is permissible. She argued that the state must collect quantifiable data to justify any sub-classification.
Key Points from the Judgement
- States must have sufficient material to prove inter-se backwardness between castes.
- Sub-classification should be based on effective representation and quantifiable data.
- Historical and empirical evidence shows that SCs are a socially heterogeneous class.
- Sub-classification is permissible if there is a rational principle for differentiation.
Justice BR Gavai also supported the identification of the creamy layer within SCs and STs, stating that sub-classification for more beneficial treatment is permissible if justified by empirical data.
Doubts Revealed
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes important decisions about laws and justice in the country.
SC/ST Quotas -: SC stands for Scheduled Castes and ST stands for Scheduled Tribes. These are groups of people in India who get special help from the government, like reserved seats in schools and jobs, to make up for past discrimination.
RJD -: RJD stands for Rashtriya Janata Dal. It is a political party in India, mainly active in the state of Bihar.
Manoj Jha -: Manoj Jha is a leader of the RJD party. He often speaks about political and social issues in India.
Creamy layer -: The ‘creamy layer’ refers to the wealthier and more educated members of the SC and ST groups. The idea is that they might not need as much help as others in their groups.
Quota benefits -: Quota benefits are special advantages given to certain groups, like reserved seats in schools or jobs, to help them get equal opportunities.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud -: DY Chandrachud is the Chief Justice of India. He is the head judge of the Supreme Court and leads important cases.
Justice Bela M. Trivedi -: Justice Bela M. Trivedi is a judge in the Supreme Court of India. She sometimes has different opinions from other judges on important cases.
Sub-classification -: Sub-classification means dividing a larger group into smaller groups based on certain criteria, like economic status.
