The Appellate Division has dismissed the High Court’s order to restore the quota system, declaring that 93 percent of government job recruitments will now be based on merit. The remaining seven percent will be allocated as follows: five percent for the freedom fighter quota, one percent for the minority quota, and one percent for the disability-third gender quota. The government retains the authority to adjust these quota rates as needed. The Supreme Court has instructed the government to issue a notification on this matter immediately.
High Court Judgment on Quota Overturned: Appellate Division
The Supreme Court has quashed the High Court’s verdict on the quota system. The hearing for the government’s appeal against the High Court order took place on Sunday, with the Supreme Court’s full bench delivering the verdict at 1:30 PM.
In recent days, the country has witnessed significant clashes over the reform of the quota system in government jobs, leading to the imposition of a curfew and the deployment of the army since Friday night. The violence has resulted in numerous casualties nationwide.
Despite the curfew, the Supreme Court commenced the hearing on the quota issue on Sunday morning. The Attorney General filed an application seeking to overturn the High Court’s order. During the hearing, five lawyers represented the students, and out of nine participating lawyers, eight supported quashing the High Court’s order, while one advocated for quota reforms.
In 2018, facing widespread agitation, the government issued a circular canceling the quota system for first and second class jobs. However, following a writ petition against this decision, the High Court declared the circular invalid and reinstated the quota on June 5 of this year. This decision prompted students to begin a movement demanding the cancellation and later the reform of the quota system, escalating their protests in July.
