New Delhi:
In a major victory for the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, the Supreme court today ordered that the state's 69% reservation law can continue for the next one year. This means chief minister Karunanidhi has been given a free run to extend reservations in jobs and admissions in the run up to assembly polls next year.
It's the shot-in-the-arm the DMK in Tamil Nadu has been waiting for. "Tamil Nadu would take all necessary legal measures to implement reservations for religious minorities", said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.
The decision has been welcomed by other political parties. The PMK's party whip, Velmurugan said, "We welcome this verdict. Infact PMK has been demanding 20 percent quota for Vanniyar community."
The apex court has asked the state government to justify the quota to the Tamil Nadu Backward Class Commission. This gives the Karunanidhi government an excellent opportunity to rope in the minorities ahead of the assembly polls.
Tamil Nadu becomes the first state to have more than 50% quotas for schools, colleges and jobs. Orissa and Karnataka had also introduced quotas above the Supreme Court's 50% cap, but those have been stayed by the Court, as they did not have immunity under the 9th Schedule of the constitution. Even Tamil Nadu now needs to explain why it needs such a high quota. This comes after the 2007 Supreme Court ruling, which says that any law under the 9th Schedule is open to judicial scrutiny, if it violates fundamental rights of citizens.
Today's court order will have a larger impact on quotas across India as states with large OBC populations clamour for affirmative action, and put pressure on the Backward Class Commissions to extend quotas beyond 50%.