India Supreme Court rejects petition challenging constitutionality of caste system News
Subhashish Panigrahi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
India Supreme Court rejects petition challenging constitutionality of caste system

The Supreme Court of India declined to entertain a petition seeking to declare the caste system unconstitutional on Tuesday. The petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution by Wazir Singh Poonia, contended that the caste system is unconstitutional and violates the fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

The bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud, with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, heard the matter. The petitioner argued that the caste system is inherently against the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, particularly the right to equality. India’s caste system is one of the world’s oldest forms of social stratification. It divides Hindus into rigid hierarchical groups, which play a determining factor in their social and religious life.

The bench disagreed with the petitioner’s claim of the caste system being unconstitutional, citing specific constitutional provisions that acknowledge the caste system. “There are provisions in the Constitution specifically referring to caste, to socially and educationally backward classes. The Constitution as originally drafted refers to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST),” observed CJI Chandrachud during the hearing. The Indian Constitution also contains provisions prohibiting discrimination based on caste and has established quotas in government jobs and educational institutions for SCs and STs.

“We are not inclined to entertain the petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India,” stated the CJI, as the bench dismissed the plea. It was concluded that there was no merit to be found in the plea, as there was no breach of fundamental rights. “This is not a case for our interference,” the court declared, bringing an end to the proceedings.

THIS DAY @ LAW

American Bar Assocation founded

The American Bar Association (ABA) was founded on August 21, 1878, by a group of 75 lawyers. The organization would become the US's foremost association of attorneys, although its membership declined substantially from 2009 to 2019. Learn more about the history of the ABA.

American Bar Association organized

On August 21, 1878, the American Bar Association was organized at a meeting in Saratoga Springs, New York.

The original ABA constitution, which is still substantially the charter of the association, defined its mission as "the advancement of the science of jurisprudence, the promotion of the administration of justice and a uniformity of legislation throughout the country....".

Dumbarton Oaks Conference opens

On August 21, 1944, the Washington Conversations on International Peace and Security opened in the Dumbarton Oaks mansion in Washington, DC, US. From the opening of the conference until its close on October 7, representatives of the US, USSR, the UK, and the Republic of China laid the groundwork for the United Nations and the post-WWII world. Learn more about the Dumbarton Oaks Conference from the United Nations.