In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India has affirmed that the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) for the purposes of reservations is constitutionally valid.

The seven-judge bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and including Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra, and Satish Chandra Sharma, has overturned the 2005 judgment in the case of *E.V. Chinnaiah vs. State of Andhra Pradesh*. The previous ruling had deemed such sub-classification as inconsistent with Article 341 of the Indian Constitution.

The Supreme Court has now recognized that state legislatures have the authority to implement sub-classifications within the SC and ST categories. This decision validates the various state laws, such as those in Punjab and Tamil Nadu.

In February of this year, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued on behalf of the central government, supporting the idea of sub-classifications among backward classes to ensure that the most deserving individuals within these communities benefit from reservations. Attorney General R. Venkataramani also presented arguments based on judicial precedents related to sub-classification.

The Constitution bench began hearings in February to address the constitutionality of such sub-classification. The Court was informed that reservations are not mere acts of benevolence but are intended as compensation for historical suppression.

Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh highlighted the deep-seated resistance to change, emphasizing the need to shift societal mindsets towards equality.

"We are committed to the reservation, we are here only on sub-classification, and this was the concern of the court. Allowing the sub-classification of SC/ST and other backward classes would grant both the central and state governments the necessary flexibility to formulate appropriate policies in pursuit of the constitutional goal of social justice, aimed at achieving de facto equality of opportunity", Court has been further told.

In 1975, Punjab had issued a notification splitting its 25% reservation for SCs into two sub-categories, allocating half to Valmikis and Mazhabi Sikhs. This notification remained in place until a 2005 Supreme Court decision in *E.V. Chinnaiah* invalidated a similar law in Andhra Pradesh. Following this, the Punjab and Haryana High Court invalidated Punjab’s notification in 2006, and the Punjab government’s subsequent legislation was also struck down. The case is now under review by the Supreme Court's seven-judge bench.

Case Title: *State of Punjab vs. Davinder Singh*