In Brief
The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Section 4(5) of the Punjab Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006, which provides preferential treatment to the most backward castes within the Scheduled Caste list. The Court held that Scheduled Castes are not a homogenous group and that the State may rationally sub-classify and provide targeted quota-based reservation to ensure adequate representation of the poorest and most deprived castes. Such differentiation is inclusion, not exclusion, as it distributes benefits pragmatically while maintaining the integrity of the Presidential list. The Court emphasized that reservation is essential for emancipation and that constitutional interpretation must reflect changing social realities.">
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