KERALA HIGH COURT ISSUES NOTICE ON PIL CHALLENGING TO IMPLEMENT ECONOMIC RESERVATION

6^th NOVEMBER,2020

The Pinarayi Vijayan led government issued the orders to permit reservation of 10% of the seats in the general category for EWS category in government jobs and seats in an educational institution.

On 6^th November, the Kerala High Court issued a notice on the PIL filed against the Kerala Government's recent decision of providing 10% reservation to the economically weaker section. The PIL was filed against the Government order by Nujaim PK, a social worker, an active politician, and the Secretary of Fraternity Movement Kerala State Committee. The petition opposed that “the Constitution (103rd) Amendment which inserted Articles 15(6) and 16(6) to provide for EWS reservation was unacceptable as “reservation cannot be granted on the ground of economic growth”. Therefore, the amendment itself is absurd, and the consequential government orders issued by the 3rd respondent (State of Kerala) are also absurd, illegal, and liable to be set aside.

After conducting proper research regarding the population in the EWS category, issued a directive to the State Government to re-decide the 10% quota for economically weaker sections.

Author: Shweta Singh