NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has upheld the 10% quota granted to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in jobs and admissions introduced in 2019 by dismissing a batch of pleas seeking a review of the verdict.
The quota was introduced through the 103rd Constitutional Amendment which had inserted Articles 15(6) and 16(6) of the Constitution. A five-judge bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, said, “Having perused the review petitions, there is no error apparent in the face of the record. No case for a review under Order XLVII Rule 1 of the Supreme Court Rules 2013. The review petitions are, therefore, dismissed.”
The top court’s order came on a batch of appeals, including the pleas filed by Society for the Rights of Backward Communities and Congress leader Jaya Thakur, seeking a review of the apex court’s November 7, 2022 judgment.
In its landmark judgement, a five-judge Constitution bench had said that the use of basic structure doctrine as a “sword” to “stultify” the State’s effort to do economic justice cannot be countenanced. It had delivered a 3:2 majority decision in favour of the 103rd Constitution Amendment. Upholding the 10% EWS quota, the SC said it is not discriminatory or violates essential features of the Constitution.