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The Supreme Court has decided to examine the Centre’s decision to grant 10 percent reservation in jobs and education to poor candidates belonging to general category.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna issued notice to the central government on various petitions challenging the validity of the Constitution (103 Amendment) Act, 2019, which paved the way for grant of quota to poor belonging to general category. “We are examining the matter and hence issuing notice returnable within four weeks,” the bench said.
The bench, however, did not stay the operation of the Centre’s decision granting quota to the poor in the general category. In the poll year, the Narendra Modi government had come out with the constitutional amendment bill giving quota benefits to the poor among general category candidates.
The petitions were filed by parties including organisations like Janhit Abhiyan and Youth For Equality challenging the Centre’s decision. The petition, filed by Youth For Equality, has sought the quashing of the bill saying that the economic criterion cannot be the sole basis for reservation.
