SC upholds 10% quota for poor in 3-2 verdict

The Supreme Court, by a 3:2 verdict, upheld validity of the 103rd constitutional amendment carried out to provide legal sanction to the Modi government’s decision to carve out 10% reservation for the economically weaker sections from unreserved classes for admission in educational institutions and government jobs and held that the 50% cap on quota is not inviolable and affirmative action on economic basis may go a long way in eradicating caste-based reservation.

A five-judge bench of Chief Justice UU Lalit and Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, S Ravindra Bhat, Bela M Trivedi and J B Pardiwala approved the amendment by majority (3:2), which would push the total reservation to 59.50% in central institutions.