The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to the Bihar Government and other relevant parties in response to a plea filed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The RJD’s petition challenges a recent Patna High Court order that invalidated the state government’s amendments aimed at increasing reservations for Backward Classes, Scheduled Tribes, and Scheduled Castes in jobs and educational institutions.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, heard the matter and decided to tag the RJD’s plea with a similar petition already under consideration.
The RJD’s challenge stems from the Patna High Court’s June 20 ruling, which struck down the Bihar Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services (for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes) Amendment Act, 2023, and the Bihar Reservation (in Admission to Educational Institutions) Amendment Act, 2023. The High Court deemed these acts violative of Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Indian Constitution.
In its petition, the RJD argued that the High Court’s judgment was based on the premise that Bihar “was neither a far-flung or remote area nor is it out of the mainstream of national life,” making the expansion beyond the 50% reservation limit unnecessary.
The Bihar government, through its standing counsel Manish Kumar, has also filed an appeal against the High Court’s decision.
The contentious amendments, passed by the Bihar legislature in 2023, sought to increase the total reservation quota from 50% to 65% in government jobs and higher educational institutions. This increase was based on findings from a caste survey conducted in the state, which led to proposed quota adjustments: 20% for Scheduled Castes, 2% for Scheduled Tribes, 25% for Extremely Backward Classes, and 18% for Backward Classes.
(Inputs from ANI)