HC asks UP to file reply on PIL against inclusion of 17 OBC

The Allahabad High Court today directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file its reply on a petition challenging a recent decision of the Akhilesh Yadav cabinet to include nearly a score of OBC groups in the list of Scheduled Castes.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Yashwant Verma passed the order on the PIL of Raj Kumar, who challenged the state cabinet's proposal dated December 22, 2016 wherein 17 castes, earlier classified as Other Backward Classes, were recommended for inclusion in the list of SCs.
The proposal was cleared at a cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on that day.

The recommendation will come into effect following an approval from the Centre.
However, the petitioner alleged that subsequent to the cabinet decision, the state government's personnel department went on to issue a notification on December 31 whereby it was ordered that all benefits provided to SCs be extended to the aforementioned 17 caste groups.
This, the petitioner contended, was in violation of Article 341 of the Constitution which empowers only the Centre, and not the states, to take a decision with regard to inclusion or exclusion of any caste group in the list of Scheduled Castes.
The court fixed February 9 as the next date of hearing in the matter.