NEW DELHI: In a majority 3:2 judgment, the Supreme Court on Monday upheld the 103rd Constitutional Amendment providing for a 10 per cent quota for the economically weaker sections from the unreserved category.
At the outset, Chief Justice U.U. Lalit said there are four different judgements on pleas challenging the EWS quota.
Three judges of the five-judge bench — Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, Bela M Trivedi, and J.B. Pardiwala — upheld the constitutional amendment for EWS quota, saying that it does not violate basic structure of Constitution.
The 103rd amendment gives 10 per cent reservation to economically weaker sections in central government jobs and admissions in central government-run institutions.
Justice S Ravindra Bhat dissents, strikes down constitution amendment on EWS quota in his minority view as he felt the 50 per cent ceiling on quota cannot be breached and EWS quota has to go. The Chief Justice concurred with the view of Justice Bhat favouring annulment of the EWS quota.
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