JD-U accuses Supreme Court for diluting reservation policy at AIIMS

Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav lashed the apex court today for diluting its reservation policy in promotion for all faculty posts at All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS).

The Court on July 18 ruled that there can be no reservation in appointment for faculty posts in speciality and super speciality courses in medical colleges, including AIIMS.

Raising the issue of reservation, Yadav alleged that the government played a tactical move by asking outgoing Chief Justice Altamas Kabir to make an important decision on the last day of his tenure.

"They have given a judgement on the fate of 80 percent people of this country, on the basis of Indira Sawhney case verdict which the government never accepted," said Yadav on Monday.

A five-judge constitutional bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir said it cannot take a contrary view expressed in 1992 by a nine-judge bench in the Indra Sawhney case, also known as the Mandal case, and that there could be no compromise with merit at the super speciality stage.

AIIMS and the Centre had however taken a contrary stand and had pleaded that the reservation be given to SC/STs and Backward classes candidates in appointment to assistant professors and other senior posts in speciality and super speciality courses.

The court quoted from the landmark judgement of Indira Sawhney case, which had upheld the 27% caste reservation in Central services.