Supreme Court Upholds Patna HC Ruling on Bihar Reservation Amendments

The Supreme Court refused to stay the Patna High Court's decision that annulled Bihar's amendments to increase reservations. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud scheduled a detailed hearing for September. The Patna HC had declared the amendments, which raised reservation quotas from 50% to 65%, as unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Patna High Court's ruling that invalidated the Bihar government's amendments aimed at increasing reservations for Backward Classes, Extremely Backward Classes, Scheduled Tribes, and Scheduled Castes in jobs and educational institutions. A bench, including Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, listed a comprehensive hearing for September.

Representing the Bihar government, Senior Advocate Shyam Divan sought a stay on the Patna High Court's decision, citing a similar case in Chhattisgarh where the Supreme Court had intervened. However, the bench, which also included justices J B Pardiwla and Manoj Misra, declined to halt the Patna High Court's ruling.

The Bihar government's appeal was presented by state's standing counsel Manish Kumar. Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh represented the respondent, Youth for Equality. Advocates Rajan Raj and Mohini Priya, along with Senior Advocate V Eshwaraia, appeared on behalf of the All India Backward Classes Federation.

In June, the Patna High Court struck down the Bihar Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services (Amendment) Act, 2023, and the Bihar (In admission in Educational Institutions) Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2023. The court deemed these laws as ultra vires and violative of the equality clauses under Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Constitution. The amendments aimed to increase reservation quotas from 50% to 65% based on a caste survey conducted in the state.

Under the proposed amendments, the state government increased reservation quotas for Scheduled Castes to 20%, Scheduled Tribes to 2%, Extremely Backward Classes to 25%, and Backward Class to 18%. These changes were implemented when Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United was allied with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress party as part of the Mahagathbandhan.

(With inputs from agencies.)