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'Unusable, Inaccurate': SC Dismisses Maharashtra Govt's Demand For OBC reservation

The apex court accepted the Union government’s stand that it is “unusable” on account of inaccuracies in its data, and dismissed the Maharashtra government’s plea to make it public.

'Unusable, Inaccurate': SC Dismisses Maharashtra Govt's Demand For OBC reservation
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In a major development, the Supreme Court (SC) dismissed a plea of the Maharashtra government seeking direction to the Centre to disclose the Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011, for implementing reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the local body polls.

The apex court accepted the Union government’s stand that it is “unusable” on account of inaccuracies in its data, and dismissed the Maharashtra government’s plea to make it public.

The SC also directed the state election commission to issue a fresh notification for the 27 per cent that were reserved for OBC, as general category and commence election process for them along with remaining 73 per cent.

Also Read: Maharashtra: SEC Defers Local Body Polls For OBC Category

A bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and CT Ravikumar rejected the Maharashtra government’s argument stating that the data was not accurate or usable, directing will lead to more confusion and uncertainty which cannot be countenanced.

The Supreme Court’s decision to stay the OBC reservation would affect 567 seats out of the total 2,100 seats.

Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for the state government, sought to impress upon the bench that irrespective of the quality of data, the state had a right in a democracy to access the caste census and thereafter, it could decide on whether or not to use it for the purposes of making reservation.

Also Read: Quota For OBCs In Maharashtra’s Local Body Elections Put On Hold By Supreme Court

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