Govt seeks review of SC’s Jat quota order

After a scrutiny by the senior officials of the ministries of Home, Law, Social Justice and Empowerment and Personnel, a decision was taken to move the court for seeking a review of the verdict.

The Centre on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court, asking it to reconsider its verdict that had scrapped the March 2014 notification to include Jats in the central list of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in nine states.

The government moved to file a review petition days after a delegation of Jat leaders met Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week.

After a scrutiny by the senior officials of the ministries of Home, Law, Social Justice and Empowerment and Personnel, a decision was taken to move the court for seeking a review of the verdict.

The review petition has claimed that there was an error apparent on the face of the record and that the court could not have sat over the decision by the government to grant OBC status to Jats since it was taken under a constitutional authority. The government cited its powers under Articles 15 (4) and 16 (4) to make special provisions, including reservation in appointments for certain disadvantaged classes, and contended that it could not be denuded of its authority by an interpretation of the court.

It has also claimed that a din was created after the court judgment as admissions to various colleges and declarations of results had to be put on hold. The verdict had forced the UPSC to put on hold the final results of the Civil Services (Mains) Examination. The UPSC has sought a clarification from the government on whether to go ahead with the announcement of those who are selected for interview for the coveted civil services or wait till all the legal recourse against the judgment is exhausted.

A review petition is usually decided in the chambers of the judges and not in the open courts. The bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Rohinton F Nariman, however, may allow a hearing in open court if it deems it appropriate.

On March 17, the bench has quashed the notification, and ruled that “caste” and “historical injustice” cannot blind a state in according backward status to a community and that new emerging groups such as transgenders must be identified for quota benefits.

It was a poll-eve decision by the UPA-II government in March 2014 to include Jats in the central list of OBC.

Source:: Indian Express