Union Minister Chirag Paswan Opposes Supreme Court Ruling on SC/ST Creamy Layer
Union Minister Chirag Paswan expressed his disagreement with the Supreme Court’s observation on the creamy layer among Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). He announced that the Lok Jandhakti Party (Ram Vilas) will file a review petition against the ruling.
Paswan emphasized that Dalit people still face untouchability in various spheres of life. He stated that the basis for giving reservation to SCs is untouchability, not educational or economic status. Therefore, he believes there should be no provision for a creamy layer within SC reservations.
“We disagree with the observation of the Supreme Court and we have registered this disagreement prominently. We are clear about this that the base of the Scheduled Caste is untouchability. It does not have an educational or economic basis. In such a situation, there can be no provision of creamy layer in it, reservation within the reservation is not correct, because even today the example of a Dalit youth is given who is prevented from riding a mare,” Chirag Paswan told reporters on Sunday.
Paswan also mentioned that despite some Dalits holding high positions, they still face discrimination, such as temples being washed with Ganga water after their visit. He reiterated that the Lok Jandhakti Party (Ram Vilas) will file a review petition in the Supreme Court regarding this matter.
The Supreme Court, in a landmark ruling, stated that states have the power to sub-classify SCs and STs. The court ruled by a majority judgement of 6:1 that sub-classification within SCs and STs reservation is permissible. The judgement was delivered by a seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, which overruled an earlier judgement in the EV Chinnaiah matter. Justice Bela M. Trivedi dissented, disagreeing with the majority opinion.
| Judges on the Bench |
|---|
| Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud |
| Justice BR Gavai |
| Justice Vikram Nath |
| Justice Bela M Trivedi |
| Justice Pankaj Mithal |
| Justice Manoj Misra |
| Justice Satish Chandra Sharma |
Doubts Revealed
Union Minister -: A Union Minister is a person who is part of the central government of India and is responsible for a specific department or ministry.
Chirag Paswan -: Chirag Paswan is an Indian politician and the leader of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). He is the son of the late Ram Vilas Paswan, a prominent Indian politician.
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes important decisions on laws and can overrule decisions made by lower courts.
SC/ST -: SC stands for Scheduled Castes and ST stands for Scheduled Tribes. These are groups of people in India who have historically faced discrimination and are given special benefits to help them.
Creamy Layer -: The creamy layer refers to the wealthier and more educated members of the SC/ST communities who may not need the same level of reservation benefits as others.
Untouchability -: Untouchability is a practice where certain groups of people, especially those from Scheduled Castes, were treated as ‘untouchable’ and faced severe discrimination.
Reservations -: Reservations are a system in India where a certain percentage of seats in education and jobs are set aside for people from SC, ST, and other disadvantaged groups.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) -: The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is a political party in India, named after its founder, Ram Vilas Paswan. It focuses on the rights and welfare of marginalized communities.
Review Petition -: A review petition is a request made to the Supreme Court to re-examine its decision. It is usually filed when someone believes the court has made a mistake.
Sub-classify -: To sub-classify means to divide a larger group into smaller groups based on certain criteria. In this context, it means dividing SCs and STs into smaller categories.
Majority Judgement -: A majority judgement is when most of the judges agree on a decision. In this case, 6 out of 7 judges agreed on the ruling.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud -: Chief Justice DY Chandrachud is the head judge of the Supreme Court of India. He leads the court and makes important legal decisions.
Justice Bela M. Trivedi -: Justice Bela M. Trivedi is a judge in the Supreme Court of India. She disagreed with the majority decision in this case.
Dissented -: Dissented means to disagree with the majority opinion. Justice Bela M. Trivedi dissented, meaning she did not agree with the other judges.