Accepting the Report of Justice Ramachandra Raju Commission Supra , the State by an Ordinance divided the 57 castes enumerated in the Presidential List into 4 groups based on inter se backwardness and fixed separate quota in reservation for each of these groups.
Advisedly, numberquestion was framed as regard division of Scheduled Castes into more backward and backward Scheduled Castes.
The impugned Act was on the same lines as the Ordinance No.
During the pendency of the said writ petitions, the State Government replaced the Ordinance with the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes Rationalisation of Reservation Act, 2000 A.P. Act 20 of 2000 the Act on 2.5.2000.
Alongwith Civil Appeal Nos.
6934 and 7344 of 2000 and 3442/2001 DELIVERED BY SANTOSH N.HEGDE, J. B.SINHA, J. HOTOI KHETOHO SEMA,J. Santosh Hegde, J. The validity of Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes Rationalisation of Reservations Act, 2000 A.P. Act 20 of 2000 was challenged before the High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Hyderabad which came to be dismissed by a five Judge Bench on a majority of 4 1, the companyrt having certified the case as being fit for appeal to the Supreme Court, these appeals are number before us after the same was referred to a Constitution Bench by an order of this Court dated 25th June, 2001.
Thus, the castes in the Presidential List came to be grouped as A, B, C, and D. The 15 reservation for the backward class in the State in the educational institutions and in the services of the State under Article 15 4 and 16 4 of the Constitution of India for the Scheduled Castes were apportioned amongst the 4 groups in the following manner Group A 1 Group B 7 Group C 6 Group D 1 The said Ordinance came to be challenged before the High Court by way of various writ petitions as being violative of Articles 15 4 , 16 4 , 162, 246, 341 1 , 338 7 , 46, 335 and 213 of the Constitution of India as also the Constitutional Scheduled Castes Order 1950 numberified by the President of India and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Amendment Act, 1976.
We will number dilate on these facts since the same are number necessary for the disposal of these appeals.
9 of 1999.
The facts necessary for the disposal of these appeals without reference to previous litigations are as follows The State of Andhra Pradesh the State appointed a Commission headed by Justice Ramachandra Raju Retd.
The Report submitted by the Commission led to certain litigations and a reference being made by the State to the National Scheduled Castes Commission.
to identify the groups amongst the Scheduled Castes found in the List prepared under Article 341 of the Constitution of India by the President, who had failed to secure the benefit of the reservations provided for Scheduled Castes in the State in admission to professional companyleges and appointment to services in the State.
