http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Pioneer/400x60/0
HC rejects PIL challenging validity of SC/ST quota in Assembly, Parliament seats Ratnaker Bhengra | Ranchi The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday rejected a petitioner's challenge to the constitutional validity of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Assemblies and Parliament. In a series of PILs filed by Kamalakant Prasad Sinha, Md Mikail Firdos, Dr Deobrata Gupta and others, the petitioners had challenged the reservation for SCs and STs in Member of Legislative Assembly and Parliamentary. They had claimed that these reservations were meant for and initially a period of only 10 years, and they were illegally being increased after every ten years, which was not the intention o f the framers of the Constitution. Further, after the initial first 10 years, the increase was done after a gap of more then ten years, which meant it was done in a vacuum period, hence the second increase was invalid and illegal and hence also all the subsequent extensions, they pleaded. The High Court held that these seats were for the weaker sections of democracy, and in line with the preamble of the Constitution. It rejected the petitioner's contention, however it imposed no costs. The Bench comprised Chief Justice M Karpaga Vinaygama and Justice DGR Patnaik.
