Supreme Court issues notice to states on whether reservation could be allowed beyond 50 %

The Supreme Court sought responses from states on Monday on a question of "seminal importance" whether legislatures were competent to declare a particular caste to be socially and educationally backward for grant of quota.

The top court will examine the question of interpretation of the 102nd amendment to the Constitution dealing with reservation to a particular community, named in the list prepared by the President.

The 102nd Constitution amendment Act of 2018 inserted Article 338B (deals with the structure, duties and powers of National Commission of Backward Class) and 342A (power of the President to notify a particular caste as Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC)) and the power of Parliament to change the SEBC list.