On Wednesday, the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing on a plea filed by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission to 24 June.
The plea challenges the Punjab & Haryana High Court’s decision to revoke the award of 5 percent additional marks in the Common Eligibility Test (CET) based on socio-economic criteria.
A vacation bench consisting of Justices Vikram Nath and S V N Bhatti agreed to the adjournment after the petitioner’s counsel informed the court about the existence of two similar petitions pending before the apex court.
These petitions contest the High Court’s 31 May verdict.
The Punjab & Haryana High Court had ruled that the additional marks awarded under the socio-economic criteria by the Human Resources Department of the Haryana Government were unconstitutional.
The court emphasized that such criteria breached the 50 percent ceiling limit on reservations as recognized by the Supreme Court and the framers of the Constitution.
The High Court asserted that the benefits granted under these criteria, in addition to the statutory reservations already in place for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Backward Classes, amounted to arbitrariness and discrimination among similarly situated individuals.
Writ petitions before the Punjab & Haryana High Court argued that the grant of 5 percent bonus marks on various grounds violated Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Constitution of India. They claimed that the socio-economic criteria created artificial classifications among equals based on factors such as residence, family income, place of birth, and social status.
Additionally, it was highlighted that the criteria were implemented without collecting quantifiable data or conducting an extensive study, thereby lacking a substantive basis.
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