Right to Equality in India: Relevance of Rese...

Right to Equality in India: Relevance of Reservations in favour of Backward Classes

Author Name : Vemula Hari Prasad

ABSTRACT The Constitution guarantees equality to all citizens and establishes a rule of nondiscrimination by the state in any manner. It ensures the state to treat all citizens equally and allows equality of status and opportunity to all and specifically provides that discrimination on the basis of religion, sex, colour, caste or race is impermissible. The high objective was to convert a society fragmented on the lines of religion, caste and economic status into a homogenous society. Reservation at the time of independence was meant to achieve the ultimate goal of development. But now it has resulted in further fragmentation and division of the society on caste lines which was never the objective with which special provisions for upliftment had been incorporated. Therefore the Constitution accords to these weaker sections of society protective discrimination in various articles, including Article 15(4) and 16(4). This clause empowers the state to make special reservation for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. This article aims to discuss equality and reservation given to us by the constitution and also deals with Mandal Commission and how it affected the reservation policies. The reservations are being implemented among BCs, but the Vaddera communities who are recognized under GROUP-A of backward classes in Telangana. The reservations are not being optimally benefited to the development of Vadderas in the state