*State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh* (2024)
Sub-Classification of SC/ST
A seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, by a 6:1 majority (verdict delivered 1 August 2024), held that state governments have the power to sub-classify Scheduled Castes for the purpose of providing more targeted, graded reservation to the most backward sub-groups within the SC list. The judgment overruled the five-judge bench decision in E.V. Chinnaiah v. State of A.P. (2004), which had held that SCs form a single homogenous class incapable of further internal classification.
- Overruled precedent: E.V. Chinnaiah v. State of A.P. (2004)
- Sub-classification must be based on empirical/quantifiable data on backwardness, not political convenience, and is subject to judicial review
- Several judges, in separate but not unanimous opinions, observed that the "creamy layer" principle (drawn from OBC reservation jurisprudence) could in principle be extended to SC/ST categories to exclude those who have already benefited and advanced
- The Court explicitly left the decision to extend creamy layer exclusion to SC/STs to the Executive and Legislature rather than issuing a binding direction
● Tracked since March 17, 2026 · last seen September 06, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
06 Sep '26
Creamy Layer and SC/ST Reservation: The Government's Constitutional Dilemma
Polity & Governance
12 May '26
Karnataka's Sub-Classification of SC Quota: Navigating the 50% Ceiling
Polity & Governance
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