In Brief
The Supreme Court's seven-judge Constitution Bench held that sub-classification of Scheduled Castes within reserved quotas for providing preferential treatment to more disadvantaged groups is constitutionally valid. The Court rejected the principle that Article 341's deeming fiction creates a homogenous, indivisible class. Sub-classification is permissible if based on rational differentia—such as inadequate representation—and has a nexus to substantive equality. The creamy layer principle also applies to Scheduled Castes. The judgment overrules E.V. Chinnaiah and permits states to allocate reserved seats proportionally to identified sub-groups, provided all Scheduled Castes retain access to some reserved positions.
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