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Kerala govt gets notice on quota - India - The Times of India
- Two years after okaying 27% quota for OBC students in government educational institutions, the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to Kerala government on a petition challenging the state's decision to extend 10% quota to economically backward students from forward castes.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice S H Kapadia sought the response of the Achuthanandan government on petitions filed by Kerala Muslim Jamaath Council and Christian Service Society.
Petitioners through senior advocate R F Nariman contended that the Constitution, while allowing the state to provide reservation, had limited it only to socially and educationally backward sections of society.
The petitioners said the government was trying to appease Hindu forward castes by extending them reservation upto 10% in government educational institutions in graduation and post-graduation courses.
The state had by an order dated September 4, 2008, decided to reserve 10% of seats in all graduation and post-graduation courses in government colleges and 7.5% of seats in universities for students belonging to economically backward sections of forward communities below the poverty line. - Alleging that reservation for forward caste students could shrink the benefit intended for socially and educationally backward communities, the Muslim body said, "This is nothing but appeasement of forward communities which constitute majority of the population. Majority of the aided and unaided educational institutions in the state are under the control of the forward communities and Christians. Students belonging to Muslim community, which are admittedly a socially and backward segment, are unable to get admission to these institutions."
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