The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine appeals against the Kerala High Court’s decision to strike down the 80:20 ratio in the allotment of minority scholarships among Muslims and Christians in the State.
A Bench led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao issued notice on the State government’s plea that the May 28 judgment of the High Court was erroneous.
The High Court had held that the action of the State government to sub-classify minorities and provide them scholarship at an 80:20 ratio was legally unsustainable.
The government was also directed to issue orders guaranteeing scholarships to members of notified minority communities on an equal basis.
The apex court also issued notice on two other connected petitions filed by MSM Kerala State Committee and Minority Indians Planning and Vigilance Trust, represented by advocate Haris Beeran, challenging the High Court decision.
One of the petitions pointed out that the High Court had quashed three Government Orders of the Kerala Government passed in 2008, 2011 and 2015. The 2008 Government Order had decided to implement the recommendations made by the Rajinder Sachar Committee to “make affirmative action aimed at economic and social upliftment and empowerment of the Muslim community, which is a designated backward community in Kerala”.
In 2011, the government decided to give 20% of the total scholarships and hostel stipends, which are given to Muslim students, to Latin Catholic and converted Christian girl students.
In 2015, the State government accorded sanction for the scholarship scheme for minority students pursuing Chartered Accountancy, Company Secretaryship courses on merit-cum-means basis.
