Caste in stone

States should not misuse the power vested in the 127th Amendment

The passage of the 127th Constitution Amendment Bill in both Houses of Parliament with rare unanimity across the political spectrum reflects the deeply political nature of the issue of caste reservations in India. The significance of this amendment lies in the fact that it vests with the states the power to identify socially and economically backward classes (SEBCs). The immediate background for this Bill was a ruling by the Supreme Court in May this year that struck down a separate jobs and educational quota that the Maharashtra government sought to establish for the Maratha community. The apex court cited a