Guwahati: The Supreme Court of India (SC) in a unanimous ruling on Monday upheld the constitutionality of the 103rd Amendment Act of 2019, which grants the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) 10% reservations in higher education and matters of public employment among the general category, and noted that it does not violate fundamental provisions of the Constitution.
The 103rd Amendment Act of 2019 was upheld by a five-judge Constitution bench in a decision that was 3:2 in favour of the Act. CJI UU Lalit agreed with Justice S Ravindra Bhat and issued a dissenting ruling.
Majority bench – Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, Bela Trivedi and JB Pardiwala upheld the EWS amendment.
CJI Lalit, Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, Bela M Trivedi and JB Pardiwala passed the judgment upholding the Act.
There would be a total of four verdicts issued in the case, according to Chief Justice of India UU Lalit.
The Chief Justice of India, UU Lalit, stated on Monday that “there are four judgements to be delivered on the subject relating to the constitutional validity of the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservations in higher education and issues of public employment on the basis of financial constraints.”
After all parties had finished their arguments in September last week, the order was reserved by the constitution bench, which was made up of Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, S. Ravindra Bhat, Bela M. Trivedi, and J.B. Pardiwala.
Concerns about the constitutionality of reservations made on the basis of economic circumstances were being handled by the Constitution Bench. On September 13, the court started hearing the case, and it was heard for seven days.