SC to examine Kerala education quota for poor

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday agreed to examine the validity of the Kerala

government's order reserving 10 percent seats in educational

institutions for students coming from economically weaker sections of

the "forward" communities.The apex court bench of Justice D.K.

Jain and Justice A.K. Ganguly decided to entertain petitions by the

Kerala Muslim Jamaath Council, the Christian Service Society and another

organisation.Senior counsel P.S. Patwalia, appearing for a

petitioner, sought some interim relief against the Kerala government's

decision but the court did not entertain it.The court said that so far none of the contending parties had filed their replies. The

senior counsel referred to an earlier verdict of the apex court saying

that economic criteria could not be the basis of reservation. The

petitioners contended that reservation could only be made for people

who were socially and educationally backward sections of the society and

none from the "forward" communities was eligible for it.The

petition said that if the state was really interested in imparting

education to economically weaker sections of the society, then it

should provide free education to all those living below the poverty line

irrespective of their caste or social denomination. As counsel

for the Kerala government said that the Congress-led state government

supported the decision taken by the pervious Left Front government, the

court asked it to file an affidavit stating its decision to carry it

forward.The petitioners challenged the Kerala High Court order

dismissing their plea seeking the revocation of the 2008 order of the

government. The petitioners want the apex court to decide

whether such a reservation was valid under the constitution or any other

prevailing law.