HC dismisses writ challenging 50% quota for SC, ST students in BBAU

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Thursday dismissed a petition challenging 50% reservation for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students in Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University.

Passing the order, Justice AP Sahi and Justice Vijay Laxmi observed, “The Parliament had full authority and was also otherwise obligated to review any percentage of reservation on such objective study.”

It may be pointed out that Pichhda Jan Kalyan Samiti, BBAU, had filed a writ petition before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court challenging 50% reservation for dalit students in Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University.

By special act of Parliament, the union government had validated 50% reservation in admission for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students in BBAU. This provision was challenged by Pichhda Jan Kalyan Samiti, an organisation of OBC students, of the BBAU.

After quashing of the writ petition, scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students of the BBAU celebrated the court’s verdict by distributing sweets.

“It was the Parliament which had approved 50% reservation for dalit students in admission to the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University. No one can take away this privilege from dalit students,” said Lalji Prasad Nirmal, president, Ambedkar Mahasabha.

The BBAU is often in news for wrong reasons. The varsity is turning into a battleground between SC and OBC students. Of late, several instances have been reported from the university related to conflicts between SC and OBC students.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the varsity on January 22 this year, few dalit students staged a protest and raised slogans against the PM when he was addressing students.

A day after the infamous incident, which left the university administration red-faced, a group of OBC students took out a protest march at the university campus under the banner of ‘Ambedkar Vishwavidyalaya Chhatra Sangh’ and condemned the action of SC students who had raised slogans against Modi. It was then that the other backward caste students had raised the demand of scrapping 50% reservation for Dalit students in admission to this central university.