High Court quashes SEBC Reservation Act

Cuttack: In a strong judgment, the Odisha High Court today quashed the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC) Reservation Act of the state government.

Earlier, a dispute had been raised before the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) by over a hundred job applicants in the general category terming the act illegal.

The Act was challenged in the Odisha Administrative Tribunal over its reservation ratio.

The Tribunal later on December 12, 2013, had quashed the Act and given a direction to modify advertisement for recruitment to the extent that reservation ratio will not exceed limit of 50 per cent in respect of ST, SC, SEBC categories of candidates.

Challenging the SAT judgment, the state government had later moved the High court. However, the High Court quashed the SEBC Act today reserving the SAT judgment.

As per the Supreme Court's order, the total reservation for SC/ST and other backward classes or special categories should not exceed 50 per cent. The Centre had earlier fixed the total reservation ratio at 65.75 per cent,  but has now limited the reservation ratio at 49 per cent.