The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday ordered a stay till November 13 on the state government’s bill on reservation for Other Backward Classes, ANI reported.
On October 26, the Rajasthan Assembly had passed the bill to raise the reservation for Other Backward Classes from 21% to 26%. With this, the total quota in the state for government jobs and seats in educational institutes would have increased to 54%, higher than the 50% ceiling set by the Supreme Court.
Earlier in the day, a petition was filed in the court challenging the government’s decision to raise the quota, The Times of India reported.
The Rajasthan Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointment and Posts in Services under the State) Bill, 2017, provides 5% reservation to Gujjars and four other communities.
The five castes – Gujjar/Gurjar, Banjara/Baldia/Labana, Gadia-Lohar/Gadalia, Raika/Rebari and Gadaria – were included in the Other Backward Classes list in 1994.
In December 2016, the Rajasthan High Court had struck down the state’s proposal to include these five under the Special Backward Class Reservation Act, 2015.
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