Supreme Court OBC quota hearing on May 8

New Delhi, Apr 24: The Supreme Court today conceded the Centre'srequest for an early hearing of a batch of petitions, challenging thevalidity of the new Act providing 27 per cent reservation to the OtherBackward Classes in the higher educational institutions, and fixed May8 as the next date of hearing.

After suffering a setback yesterday when a Division Bench headedby Justice Arijit Pasayat refused to vacate the stay on the Act, thegovernment in a swift move filed an application for an early hearing ofthe petitions.

A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan set May 8 for hearing the petitions.

Now, the indications are that the petitions might go to afive-Judge constitution bench. But the final view on the issue wouldonly be known on May 8.

The application for seeking an early hearing of the petitions wasmoved before the apex court by Attorney General Milon K Banerjee on theground that the issue involved was of urgent public importance.

Mr Banerjee contended before the apex court that the pre-ponement ofthe hearing would be in the interest of justice. He cited the case ofthe Indian Institute of Foreign Trade which has already put in place amechanism for implementing the provision of 27 per cent reservation toOBCs and has already sent admission letter to nine OBC candidates.

IIT Chennai and Delhi have already announced joint entrance test for the two-year MBA course, he added.

When one of the counsels for the petitioner, challenging thereservation policy, objected to the government mentioning the matterbefore the bench of the Chief Justice instead of mentioning it beforethe bench headed by Justice Pasayat which is hearing the matter, theChief Justice responded: ''It is my previlege as the CJ to hear anapplication for early hearing and no judicial impropriety was involvedin it.''

UNI

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