EWS quota: Supreme Cour stays Kerala HC proceedings

New Delhi, September 24

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the proceedings before the Kerala High Court on a petition challenging the Centre’s decision to grant 10 per cent quota in government jobs and admissions to educational institutions to candidates belonging to the economically weaker sections.

Acting on the Centre’s plea seeking transfer of the case from the high court to the top court, a Bench led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana issued notice to Nujaim PK — the petitioner before the high court.

The top court had in August last year referred petitions on the issue to a five-judge Constitution Bench. However, the EWS quota is already operational as there is no stay on it.

Friday’s order came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought stay on the proceedings before the high court

The transfer of the aforesaid petition would enable all these cases to be clubbed and heard together, it said, adding, the transfer of plea was necessary as certain petitions on the issue were already pending before SC. There are 20 petitions pending against the Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019, which paved the way for grant of reservation to EWS candidates of general category. The petitioners have sought quashing of the law on ground that backwardness for the purpose of reservation cannot be defined by “economic status alone”. — TNS