Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : The Indian National Congress party is preparing to challenge the long-standing 50% limit on reservations in government jobs and education, announcing it will push for the cap's removal during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge declared that his party is committed to ensuring social justice for marginalized communities. He argued that the current 50% ceiling, established by a 1992 Supreme Court ruling, prevents Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from receiving reservations proportional to their actual population.
"The Congress party is firm in its belief that the 50% cap on reservations must be removed to secure social justice," Kharge stated.
At the heart of the issue is the landmark Indra Sawhney case, where the Supreme Court ruled that total reservations should not exceed 50%. However, Kharge pointed to a key precedent: the 103rd Constitutional Amendment. This amendment, introduced by the current government, provided a 10% quota for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), effectively breaching the 50% limit. The Congress party argues that if the cap could be set aside for the EWS category, the same should be done to provide adequate representation for SC, ST, and OBC communities.
To support this demand, the party is also reiterating its call for a nationwide caste census. The Congress believes that a comprehensive census is essential to gather accurate data on the population of various castes, which would form the basis for revising and expanding reservation benefits fairly.
By raising this issue in Parliament, the Congress party aims to spark a major debate on affirmative action and force a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decades-old restriction, framing it as a crucial step toward achieving true social equity in India.
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