Dr. Munesh Kumar
Abstract:
The reservation policy for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in India was constitutionally designed as a transformative instrument to redress centuries of untouchability, discrimination, and structural exclusion. However, the recent decision of the Supreme Court in State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh (2024) permitting sub-categorization within SC/ST reservations has revived an intense constitutional and socio-political debate. This paper critically examines whether sub-categorization advances substantive equality or undermines collective protection in a social context where caste discrimination remains pervasive even against highly placed SC/ST officers, students, ministers, and professionals.
