A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has directed the Central and State governments to take steps to finalise the reports of the socio-economic study required for the identification of socially and educationally backward classes in the State at the earliest and submit it to the Kerala State Commission for Backward Classes.
The Bench led by Chief Justice S. Manikumar on Thurday directed the commission and the Centre to take all steps to finalise the evaluation of the reports and make their recommendations to the State government on the revision of the backward classes list. The exercise should be completed in six months.
The court made it clear that the State government was duty-bound under Section 11 of the Kerala State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993, for revising the list every 10 years after the Act coming into force.
The court passed the verdict while disposing of a public interest litigation alleging inadequate representations of backward classes in government services and the failure of the State government to conduct a socio-economic survey under terms of the Act.
The court observed that there was a clear obligation and duty cast upon the Commission to study the socio-economic report and make necessary recommendations. However, it was equally important that unless and until a report was furnished to the Commission in respect to the socio-economic study, the Commission might not be able to identify socially and educationally backward classes and make necessary advice to the government for making reservation in public services.
The petitioners said that without conducting the -economic survey, the Commission could not revise the list of backward classes. The government had failed to undertake such a survey, the petitioners alleged.
