‘Unconstitutional’: SC Strikes Down 10.5% Reservation For Tamil Nadu’s Vanniyar Community in Jobs, Colleges

The Tamil Nadu Assembly had in February last year passed the then ruling AIADMK-piloted bill providing internal reservation of 10.5 per cent for Vanniyars, with the incumbent DMK government issuing an order in July 2021 for its implementation.

Chennai: In a big setback to Vanniyars, a Most Backward Community (MBC) in Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the 10.5 percent reservation provided to them in government jobs and admission to educational institutions, calling it ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘a violation of the right to equality.

In February, the Tamil Nadu Assembly had passed the then ruling AIADMK-piloted bill providing internal reservation of 10.5 per cent for Vanniyars, with the incumbent DMK government issuing an order in July 2021 for its implementation.

It had split the aggregate 20 per cent reservation for MBCs and denotified communities into three separate categories by regrouping castes and provided a 10 per cent plus sub-quota for Vanniyars, formerly known as Vanniakula Kshatriyas.

The petitioners had contended that if such a reservation was implemented, then the Vanniyar community would enjoy reservation in jobs and admission while 25 other castes under MBC and 68 others would have to share the remaining quota.

“We are of the opinion that there is no substantial basis for classifying Vanniakula Kshatriyas into one group to be treated differently from the remaining 115 communities within the MBC groups and, therefore, the 2021 Act is in violation of Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Constitution. Therefore, we uphold the decision of the high court,” a bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai said.

(With PTI Inputs)