NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the Centre’s review petition challenging the court’s interpretation of the 102nd Constitutional amendment in its May 5 judgment that declared the Maratha quota unconstitutional.
A five-judge Constitution bench said, “The grounds taken in the review petition do not fall within the limited ground on which the review petition can be considered. The various grounds taken in the review petition have already been dealt with in the main judgment.”
In the May 5 verdict, the court had ruled that as per the Article 342A that was inserted into the Constitution through the 102nd amendment, the Central government alone can identify Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) and include them in a list to be published under Article 342A (1), specifying the SEBCs in relation to each state and UTs.
The top court had said that states can only make suggestions under Article 338B for the inclusion, exclusion or modification of castes or communities in the list. However, states’ powers to announce reservations, their quantum, the nature of benefits and all other matters falling within the ambit of Articles 15 and 16 will remain undisturbed, the court had clarified in its verdict.