No need to collect data on backwardness: Supreme Court on quota benefits for SC/ST 

The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday pronounced its verdict on a batch of petitions on quota benefits in job promotions for SC/ST employees, declaring that states don't need to collect quantifiable data on backwardness.

The bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra refused to refer the matter (the Nagaraj judgement) to a larger bench.

The bench, also comprising Justices Kurian Joseph, R F Nariman, S K Kaul and Indu Malhotra, had reserved its verdict on August 30 after hearing various stakeholders, including the Centre, on the matter.

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In 2006, a five-judge constitution bench, in its verdict in the M Nagraj case, had said the states are bound to provide quantifiable data on the backwardness of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the facts about their inadequate representation in government jobs and the overall administrative efficiency, before providing quota in promotions to members of these communities.

The Centre had earlier alleged that the verdict in the M Nagraj case had put unnecessary conditions in granting quota benefits to the SC and ST employees and sought its reconsideration by a larger bench.

Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, had strongly argued in favour of granting quota to SC and ST employees, saying there was a presumption of backwardness in their favour.

Venugopal had argued that the SC and ST communities have been facing caste-based discrimination for long and the stigma of caste is attached to them despite the fact that some of them have come up.

Earlier, the top court had questioned the logic behind granting quota in promotions in government jobs to the kith and kin of affluent persons among the SC and ST communities who have been holding high official positions.

(With inputs from PTI)