Supreme Court Upholds SC Sub-Classification Ruling, Dismisses Review Petitions

The Supreme Court of India has reinforced its stance on the permissibility of sub-classifying Scheduled Castes (SC) for more targeted reservation policies. On Friday, the court dismissed review petitions challenging its earlier decision that allowed the creation of separate quotas for more disadvantaged groups within SC categories.

In a concise order, the court stated, "No error apparent on the face of the record has been found upon reviewing the petitions. The criteria for review under Order XLVII Rule 1 of the Supreme Court Rules 2013 have not been met, leading to the dismissal of the review petitions."

This review was conducted in chambers, as is customary for such proceedings.

One of the petitioners, Jaishri Patil, had argued that the precedent set in the Indra Sawhney case regarding backward class sub-classification should not extend to Scheduled Castes and Tribes. The petition asserted that the power to classify or sub-classify SCs lies solely with the President and Parliament, as per Articles 341 and 342 of the Constitution.

The court's decision upholds its August 1 ruling, where a seven-judge Constitution Bench, in a 6:1 majority, affirmed states' rights to identify and sub-classify more disadvantaged groups within SC categories for targeted quota allocation. This landmark judgment, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and supported by five other justices, overturned a 2005 Supreme Court decision that had previously denied state governments this power.

By maintaining its position, the Supreme Court has reaffirmed the constitutional validity of efforts to address inequalities within Scheduled Caste communities, potentially paving the way for more nuanced affirmative action policies at the state level.