'One more victory for social justice', says MP Manickam Tagore on SC decisions to introduce reservation for staff

Member of the Parliament from Virudhunagar, Manickam Tagore, appreciated the decision taken by the Supreme Court of India to formally introduce the reservation policy for the appointment and promotion of its staff belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). He called the step 'One more victory for social justice'. Manickam, in his post on X, said, "After 74 years of the Constitution, the Supreme Court has, for the first time, implemented reservations for SC, ST and OBC staff in direct recruitment and promotions.

He called the step historic and wrote, "A long-overdue but historic step." Manickam also highlighted the population ratios of the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backwards Caste (OBC), which he says are significant, but their representation in court is below 5%.

"SC population: 16.6%, ST population: 8.6%, OBC population: 41% (NSSO data). Yet, in court administration, their presence has remained below 5% in many roles", he said. He further added, "Representation is not just symbolic -- it's structural justice. The Mandal Commission (1980) pushed for OBC reservation, implemented in 1990. But for decades, many elite institutions -- including the judiciary -- remained outside the ambit. This move finally begins to correct that gap."

He called the Judiciary the guardian of the Constitution and said, "The judiciary is not only the guardian of the Constitution -- it must reflect its values within. This decision marks a bold and progressive shift toward equity and inclusion at the highest level of our justice system." He appreciated the SC for taking the 'progressive step' and said, "This sends a strong message to all other institutions still untouched by social justice reforms."

Manickam called this a start towards bringing equality and inclusion and appealed to other institutions, such as Parliament and universities, to learn from it. He said, "Let this be the start. Let Parliament, High Courts, universities, media, and corporates take note, representation matters. Equality isn't charity. It's a constitutional right."

The Supreme Court of India has indeed introduced a reservation roster and implemented a policy for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in direct recruitment and promotions for its non-judicial staff. This policy allocates a 15% quota for SC employees and a 7.5% quota for ST employees. The policy was announced through a circular on June 24, 2025. (ANI)

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