Rajasthan HC stays 5 per cent quota for special backward classes including Gujjars

Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday stayed the five per cent quota for special backward classes including Gujjars observing that it would mean that the quota limit exceeded 50 per cent mark, which was unconstitutional. The Gujjar community has been for a long time now demanding quota and has held large-scale protests to push for its demand.

In 2012, the state government had accepted the OBC panel report recommending five per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutes to five communities, including Gujjars, under Specially Backward Category. Fourteen per cent more reservation to economically backward classes was also granted. This increased quota limit in the state to 68 per cent, i.e. 18 per cent more than the permissible reservation limit.

The court has now asked the state government to justify its decision. The matter will again come up for hearing in the High Court on Thursday.

The court observed that 5 per cent quota for Gujjars meant that reservation limit in the state would exceed 50 per cent, which was unconstitutional.

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