Supreme Court says it cannot interfere in criteria for SC/ST reserved constituencies
The Supreme Court of India ruled that it cannot interfere in the legislative process of determining criteria for SC/ST reserved constituencies. The bench emphasized that delimitation is a legislative prerogative and suggested that those seeking changes should pursue political advocacy rather than judicial intervention.
Why it matters
This reinforces the separation of powers in Indian governance, limiting the judiciary's role in electoral boundary adjustments.
'Can't interfere in norms for SC/ST seats in house'NEW DELHI: Refusing to blur the constitutional 'Lakshman Rekha' that separates the three organs of governance, Supreme Court Wednesday said it cannot usurp legislature's exclusive powers to interfere in the criteria for reserving an assembly or parliamentary constituency for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes."We cannot become the third chamber of Parliament," a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said while refusing to entertain a petition seeking quashing of a notification reserving Kadipur assembly constituency in UP for SCs.The CJI-led bench said identification of constituencies to reserve them for SCs or STs was the sole prerogative of the legislature and the court could not interfere in it, and suggested the petitioner could resort to protests to make elected representatives take corrective measures.The bench, which has been dealing with a large number of petitions on CJP protests,…
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