US Supreme Court not in favour of race-based admissions in top universities

The US Supreme Court and its Conversative heavy bench of judges on Monday signalled that it may not be in favour of universities enrolling students based on their skin colour.

Reportedly, the 6-3 conservative majority court was hearing a case filed by activist Edward Blum challenging the lower court ruling of upholding race-conscious admission policies of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.

Justice Samuel Alito, during the five-hour hearing, said giving an advantage to a student based on race put the other student at disadvantage.

"So what is your response to the simple argument that college admissions are a zero-sum game?And if you give a 'plus' to a person who falls within the category of under-represented minority, but not to somebody else, you're disadvantaging the latter student?"

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Meanwhile,Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the two Black justices said she didn't even understand the word diversity.

"I've heard the word 'diversity' quite a few times and I don't have a clue what it means. I don't put much stock in that because I've heard similar arguments in favor of segregation, too," saidThomas.

Read more: US Supreme Court to decide on race-based admissions in top universities

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was added to the bench during Trump's rule said"these racial classifications are potentially dangerous and must have a logical end point."

Notably,Harvard and UNC, USA'soldest private and public universities, respectively employ race as a criterion to try to ensure that minorities, particularly African Americans, are represented in the student body.

However, during the hearing, the two universities argued that race was only one criterion amongst other parameters such asacademic merit, athletics and extracurricular.

Given the statement by the judges, it looks highly probable that the SC may strike down affirmative action. Afterinvalidating the famous "Roe v. Wade" ruling from 1973 that protected a woman's right to an abortion, this ruling could potentially generate a similar discourse.

Affirmative action is prohibited at public institutions in nine states, including California, where voters rejected a 2020 attempt to reinstate the practice after doing so in a ballot measure in 1996.

(With inputs from agencies)

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