The Telangana legislature has passed the Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Bill, 2017, that seeks to raise the reservation for backward Muslims and scheduled tribes.
The Telangana legislature will increase the reservation for socially and educationally backward Muslims from the existing 4% to 12% and for Scheduled Tribes from 6% to 10%.
This is taking the total quotas in government jobs and educational institutions in the state much beyond the 50 % ceiling set by the Supreme Court.
The total quota in the state will now increase to 62%. The bill will now be sent for obtaining President’s assent.
Since the reservation goes beyond the 50% ceiling set by the Supreme Court, the state government wants the centre to include the bill in the 9th schedule of the Constitution which will preclude a judicial review.
States like Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand already have reservations totalling more than 50 percent.
Reservation bills included in 9th Schedule of the Constitution protects it from judicial review. Ninth Schedule contains more than 250 legislations receiving protection from the judicial scrutiny.
