The Supreme Court on Wednesday said its 2006 verdict putting benefits of quotas in job promotions for employees belonging to the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SC/ST) need not be referred to a seven-judge bench.
The Supreme Court also turned down the Centre's plea that the overall population of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes be considered for granting quota for them.
The unanimous judgement was pronounced by a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra. The bench also comprised Justices Kurian Joseph, R.F. Nariman, S.K. Kaul and Indu Malhotra,
The bench said states need not collect quantifiable data on backwardness of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes for giving quotas in job promotion to employees from these communities.
The Supreme Court did not comment on two other conditions given in the 2006 verdict, which dealt with adequacy of representation of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in promotion and not to disturb administrative efficiency.
The Supreme Court's verdict came in response to petitions seeking a seven-judge bench to reconsider the court's 2006 judgement, which had put conditions for granting quota benefits in job promotions for employees from the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
