Supreme Court refuses to stay 10% quota implementation

Rollout of the 10 per cent quota in jobs and education for poor citizens in unreserved category will proceed unhindered, with the Supreme Court refusing to stay its implementation after six petitions challenging the constitutional amendment to the law came up for the first time in court.

Issuing a notice on the petitions, the bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said, "We will examine the issue." But when the petitioners sought a stay on the 124th Constitution Amendment Act, 2019, the court flatly refused. "We will issue a notice but no interim order will be passed as we are examining the matter," it said.

There was a moment when it was felt that the bench would postpone the matter indefinitely, as petitioners raised their voices to buttress their demand for the stay.

Agitated by the clamour raised by the lawyers appearing for petitioners of the bunch of public interest litigation pleas, CJI Gogoi retorted harshly, "If discipline is not maintained, the matter will be adjourned sine die."